Claude Mertz

A funeral service for Claude Mertz will be held on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in La Grange with interment to follow at the La Grange City Cemetery. A visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, December 27, 2022 from 4-6:00 PM at the Fayette Memorial Funeral Home in La Grange.

Claude Mertz passed away at St. Mark’s Hospital on December 21, 2022 at the age of 95. He was born in Shelby, Texas on January 30, 1927 to Robert Lee and Edna (Ullrich) Mertz.

Claude grew up in Shelby, Texas in Austin County working on his family farm.  He served our Country towards the end of World War II around 1945 to 1948 in Germany working at a prison and used as a translator of the German Language.  Upon his return he continued to work on his parents’ farm.  He later went to barber school and started his career as a barber in 1963 in Houston while living with his brother Reimund's family for 3 or so months. He was then offered the opportunity to work with Charlie Ripper as a barber in La Grange, Texas.  Soon after that he married Sylvia Tietjen in 1966 and remained married for 48 years till her death on January 1, 2016.  He continued to barber with Charlie till the age of 70 and continued to cut hair for shut ins and others for the next 15 years.  He and his wife would spend his days off at his parents farm assisting them.  He enjoyed gardening and grafting pecan and peach trees.  You would often find him shucking corn and either whistling or singing a tune.  At Christmas he would make sure all his nieces and nephews would have something under the tree.  He often would be singing Christmas songs. Claude has been living the last 4 years being cared for by Oakland Manor in Giddings, Texas along with his brother Reimund. 

Claude is preceded in death by his wife, Sylvia (Tietjen) Mertz; parents, Robert and Edna Mertz, in-laws, Anton and Ella Tietjen; one sister, Hilma Hetzel; one brother, Elo Mertz; brother-in-law, Clinton Hetzel and sister-in-law, Burdella Mertz and dear friend, Charlie Ripper.

He is survived by one brother, Reimund Mertz along with numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of memorial donations, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the St. Paul Lutheran Church in La Grange.