Emma Merchant

Emma M. Merchant, nee Ketnor, passed away Jan. 8, 2026, at the Sheridan Memorial Hospital. She was born 20 September 1929 to George F. and Bessie E. (Treakle) Ketnor in Weems, Virginia, one of 9 children, who all preceded her in death.

She is preceded in death by her ex-husband, Forrest Merchant (2008) and her son, Brian Scott Merchant (2018). She is survived by her 3 daughters: Gail (Vince) Marsh of Lake Havasu City, Arizona; Karen Hasse of San Antonio, TX, and Deborah (Leonard) Davis of Sheridan, Wyoming; 5 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

During the mid-1940’s, she left home at age 17 to live with an older sister who had 3 children so she could mind them while their parents worked. She worked at Bendix Radio in Baltimore on the assembly line manufacturing radios. During her time there, she met her future husband, Forrest Merchant. They married on 25 August 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. They divorced in 1975.

Emma was an animal lover. As a young girl, she had a dog named Lollipop, who unfortunately was stolen. She also enjoyed her family’s pets as well. She enjoyed sewing and knitting and made many of her daughters’ clothes when they were growing up. She also had a very dry sense of humor, like her mother’s was.

Emma had lived in several different states during her life: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. She moved to Sheridan Wyoming for the second time in 2012 and was a resident of the city until her death.

Graveside services will be planned at a later date with interment in Sheridan Municipal Cemetery. She will be interred with her son, Brian.

Special thanks to:

The Hub, Westview Healthcare Center Staff, Sheridan Memorial Hospital physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff.

If you wish to donate, please make a donation to a charity of your choice in her name. Online condolences may be made to www.sheridanfuneral.com. Arrangements are under the care of Sheridan Funeral Home.