Merton "Mert" P. Williams

Merton (Mert) Williams, age 88, of Rochester, MN passed away on Monday, May 8, 2023 at his home. Mert was born on March 11, 1935 to Ralph M. (Bob) Williams and Annie Williams (Larsen). Mert was married to Mardel Carey for over 15 years and were later divorced. They had three daughters during their marriage. Mert was a well-known auto body repairman at B&B Auto Body of Rochester. He was also employed at Quarve & Anderson in Rochester. Mert went to work for the Rochester Parks Department where he retired. Racing cars was his passion. He was and still is a legend to many. Mert won races and track championships all over the Midwest. He is the all-time leader in feature wins at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds in Rochester and at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson. He won 10-track championships at Kasson that included six in a row in the early to mid-1970's. The biggest highlights in his career was the win at the Minnesota State Fair I.M.C.A. North Star 350 in 1962. Mert is still the only stock car driver to be inducted into the Rochester Quarterback's Club Hall of Fame in 2008. During his illustrious career, Mert was known for his engineering & fabricating prowess and was always on the cutting edge on how to make the car handle better and go faster. Mert is survived by his daughters Linda (Frank) Heglin, Vicki Williams and Kim Williams. A very special thank you to Kim who moved in and took good care of her dad for the past 14-months. He is also survived by his grandchild Shane (Amy) Baker and his great grandchildren McKenna, Lucas, and Kamryn; Grandchild Nathan (Rachel) Noser along with great grandchild Isaiah; Grandchild Mike (Michelle) Williams and great grandchildren Cooper, Mysti and Mikey. Mert was preceded in death by his parents Ralph and Annie along with his only sibling Phyllis Cocker. A visitation will be held on Sunday, May 14 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. A Memorial Service will take place following the visitation at 4:00 p.m. This will be held at Ranfranz & Vine Funeral Home located at 5421 Royal Place NW in Rochester. A private burial will be on Monday, May 15. Memorials are preferred to Doctors Without Borders at www.doctorswithoutborders.org and Operation Smile at www.operationsmile.org Mert was very interested in both of these organizations. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes is honored to be serving the Williams family; to share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.ranfranzandvinefh.com.