Tam Merriman daughter of Alvin and Clariss (Christian) Jansen, was born in Manning, Iowa, July 9, 1949. She grew up in Aspinwall and attended school in Manilla. She excelled in basketball and track, and graduated in 1967. She attended medical training in Iowa City for Phlebotomy. Following her degree, she worked at the UNO Hospital.

On November 21, 1969, she was united in marriage to Robert Merriman in Omaha, Nebraska. She lived in Bellevue, Nebraska; Hampton, Virginia; and Circleville, Ohio, before settling in Manning in 1977.

She worked at Burcliff until it closed and then Pella Corporation until she retired in 2011. In 2013, she owned and operated Garden Concepts green house until her health declined in the spring of 2019. She enjoyed gardening, fishing, and spending time with her family.

Tam entered Manning Hospital in early April and was transferred to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines where she passed away on May 8, 2019, at the age of 69 years and 10 month.

She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Teresa Benning.

She is survived by her husband Robert (Bob); two sons: Kirk Merriman, Houston, Texas; and Trebor Merriman (Tracy), Glenwood, Minnesota; 6 grandchildren: Meagan Harrison and Caleb Merriman, Hunter (Adam) Jones, Kamie and Kayla Vaughan; and 1 great-granddaughter Addison Jones; brothers: Tom (Carol) Jansen, Hurst, Texas; Tim (Jodie) Jansen, Carroll, Iowa; Ted (Rhonda) Jansen, Aspinwall, Iowa; sister, Terri (Bruce) Mohr, Mapleton, Iowa; and two cats, Snowball and Cali.