Merton Schreiber Zeisset was born to Henry and Perseda (Schreiber) Zeisset on Nov. 8, 1909, at their farm home southeast of Leonardville, Kansas. He attended Fairview elementary school and Leonardville Rural High School, then farmed with his father for three years after high school.
In 1930, Merton accepted the call to the Christian ministry, the 13th son of the Evangelical Church in Leonardville to do so. He graduated from Western Union College at LeMars, Iowa, in 1934, and the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Naperville, Ill., in 1937.
In college Merton met Ina Hubbard of Nevada, Iowa, and they were married on May 12, 1937. Together, they spent 42 years in the pastoral ministry in the Evangelical Church, the Evangelical United Brethren Church, and the United Methodist Church, as the denominational unions were effected. They served pastorates in Oklahoma City and Enid in Oklahoma, and in Marion, Hillsboro, Worden, Newton, Jewell-Mankato, Huscher-Norway, Attica, and Satanta in Kansas. Merton edited the Kansas Conference Bulletin for his denomination for 26 years.
Upon retirement in 1979, Merton and Ina moved to Leonardville, to a home built by his sister, Carol Benninga, and her husband. They enjoyed that house until early 2000, when they moved to Beninga Acres, an independent living apartment associated with the Leonardville Nursing Home.
In his retirement years, Merton served eight years on the Riley County Senior Citizens board, six years on the County Historical Society board, and fifteen years on the board of Tuttle Creek Lake Ministries. In the local community, he was a member of the Lions Club, serving twice as its president; he was instrumental in organizing the Leonardville Senior Citizens and served as its first president. He was on the Pride Committee for two periods and served on committees of the Leonardville United Methodist Church.
Continuing as a minister in retirement, Merton served as Minister of Visitation for the Clay Center United Methodist Church for 13 years, and preached in dozens of churches as there was need on occasional Sundays. He truly enjoyed preaching and making pastoral calls. The Leonardville United Methodist Church named him Pastor Emeritus in the 1980s.
Merton enjoyed travel and learning, and took his family to see all 48 states between 1948 and 1956. In later years, Merton and Ina made eight overseas trips and attended many elderhostels to enrich their ministry. Music was a joy to him and he sang in choirs and quartets from youth.
In 1992, Merton published Our First Century in America: The Zeissets Who Came to Kansas from Germany, 1884-1893, a compilation of genealogy and family history. His leadership and stories inspired biennial Zeisset reunions for many years.
Ina, his wife of 63 years, preceded him in death in 2000. Merton stayed active until pain from cancer in his spine forced his move to the Leonardville Nursing Home in August, 2004. Merton died February 18, 2005 at the nursing home.
Merton is survived by his two sons, Ray Zeisset of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Paul Zeisset of Alexandria, Virginia; and five grandchildren, Timothy Zeisset of Lindon, Utah, Michelle Zeisset of Tallahassee, Florida, Crista Spears of Denver, Colorado, Heidi Hoffman of Omaha, Nebraska, and Jonathan Zeisset of Linden, North Carolina; and two great-grandchildren, Alex and Conrad Hoffman of Omaha.
The funeral was held at the Leonardville United Methodist Church, Tuesday, February 22, at 1:30 pm. Interment was at the Leonardville United Methodist Cemetery.
Memorials gifts may be made to the Leonardville United Methodist Church or to the Leonardville Nursing Home, Leonardville, KS, 66449.
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