Staff
At Waid Funeral Home, we are honored to have earned the trust and confidence placed in us by those that we serve. We pledge to offer respectful and dignified professional service, service that a family should expect, service that a family deserves. From the time the first phone call is received, throughout the service and beyond, each staff member at our funeral home contributes in an important way.
Paul Waid
 Licensed Funeral Director
Paul is a native of Merrill and a 1973 graduate of Merrill Senior High School. He is a 1978 graduate of the Mortuary Science program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. During high school, Paul worked for the Schram Funeral Home in Merrill, and in 1976, the previous owner sold the business to Paul and his brothers, Alan and Dean.
Paul and his wife Missy were married in 1979 and they have three children, Kurt, Matt and Elly. In May 2008, Kurt and his wife Kasi gave Paul and Missy their first grandchild, Konner.
Paul is a member and past president of the Merrill Rotary club, a member of the Merrill Historical Society and an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Merrill. When he is not busy at the funeral home he enjoys playing guitar and singing, bird hunting and spending time at his cabin or relaxing up north at his trailer.
“It has been my privilege and honor to serve the Merrill Community in funeral service since 1973. It has always been my goal to serve our families with fairness, dignity, and respect. I owe the Merrill Community a debt of gratitude for allowing me the opportunity to live, work and raise my family here.”
Alan Waid
 Licensed Funeral Director
Alan is a native of Merrill as well and currently resides in Pine River with his wife, Mary (Donner). They have three children, Katie, Melanie and Scott.
Alan graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stout in 1970 with a degree in psychology, and graduated from Cincinatti College of Mortuary Science in 1972.
Alan is a member of Bible Presbyterian Church, the currently serves as church board president. He is a member of the Merrill Optimists Club and is an avid hunter and golfer.
Nicole Lenhart
 Licensed Funeral Director
Nicole is a native of Wallace, Michigan and a graduate of Stephenson High School. She attended the University of Wisconsin Marinette and Northern Michigan University. Nicole graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, Illinois in 1998.
Nicole began her career in funeral service because of her desire to help others through a difficult time in their lives. She worked at Miles Martin Funeral Home in Lower Michigan for seven years and returned to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for three additional years. Nicole began serving families in Merrill in 2008.
Nicole and her husband Steve reside in Merrill. They enjoy spending time with family, fishing and the outdoors, their German shepherd dogs, Sage and Sierra, and their cats. Nicole is a member of the Merrill Optimist Club and volunteer at the Lincoln County Humane Society.
Nicole is a Certified Funeral Service Professional (CFSP) with the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice, a program to distinguish those who offer more than what is expected of them. She is also licensed to practice funeral service in both Michigan and Wisconsin.
Jaci Ziebell
 Office Manager
Jaci grew up in Merrill and the surrounding areas, and married her husband Kurt in 2004. They recently opened their own business in spring of 2010. Jaci and Kurt are the proud parents of three children, Thomas, Emma and Claire and one crazy dog, Sherwood.
Jaci joined the staff at Waid Funeral Home in 2009 and is very grateful for the opportunity to work with families in need.
In her personal time, Jaci enjoys scrapbooking, reading, taking walks, baking, taking trips to the family cottage in the UP and spending time with friends and family. Jaci and her family are members of Prince of Peace Christian Church where she sings with the Praise and Worship Team.
John Burrow
 Funeral Director Intern
As a long-time friend of the Waid family, John has been interested in serving families in need for several years, and only recently began his internship at the funeral home. John was raised in Merrill and is a 2003 graduate of Merrill High School. He is currently attending North Central Technical College in Wausau, WI, enrolled in the Human Services program. John will be attending Milwaukee Area Technical College for his degree in Mortuary Science. He is happy to be working for and helping families in his hometown of Merrill.
John and his wife Amber (Bostwick) were married in 2009, and are both very excited to be starting their family. They attend St. Francis Xavier Church in Merrill.
In his personal time, John enjoys spending time with his family and friends, hunting, fishing, and playing guitar. John also enjoys volunteering his time for benefit Concerts, and at Pine Crest Nursing Home in Merrill.
Peter Wade
 Funeral Assistant
Peter joined the staff as a Funeral Assistant at Waid Funeral Home in 2009. He was born in Milwaukee, and at the age of seven, he and his family moved to the Merrill area. Peter attended Trinity Lutheran School in Merrill and graduated from Merrill High School. He also attended Wayland Academy and North Central Technical College.
Peter is a Master Plumber and works for PGA Inc. in Weston. He is married and has two children. Peter's interests include soil science, natural history, conservation, photography, animal science, politics and music. He is also a dog owner and in his spare time he enjoys hunting, walking and bird watching.
Judy Plamann
 Pre-planning and Aftercare Coordinator
Judy was born and raised in Deerbrook, WI, near Antigo on a family-owned dairy farm and logging operation. She moved to Merrill in 1979, where she was employed at Snyder Drug for 23 years, working as a sales clerk, manager, and co-owner of the pharmacy.
In her spare time, Judy enjoys colunteering at Bell Tower Residence and the Merrill Area Communtiy Enrichment Center as often as possible. Some of Judy's interests include ballroom dancing, biking, hiking, cross country skiing, gardening, nature, and crafting. She greatly enjoys making people happy and living each day to its fullest.
Working closely with the public in retail, Judy always knew her heart was focused primarily on servicing people's needs, and helping our community. With an upbeat, enthusiastic personality and deep desire to serve people, she is proud to be a member of the staff at Waid Funeral Home as their Pre-Need and Aftercare Specialist.
Bill Kolar
 Funeral Assistant
Bill was born in Phillips, Wisconsin and was raised in Park Falls where he graduated from high school. Bill has lived in Merrill for 20+ years.
Bill attended General Motors Institute in Flint Michigan where he studied Engineering in a co-op Engineering program, sponsored by AC Spark Plug, who manufactured missile guidance systems. In 1965, Bill left AC Spark Plug and joined the Fort Howard Paper Company, spending the next 38 years in Engineering and Maintenance Management. He retired from Wausau Papers in Brokaw, in 2003.
Robert "Bob" Annis
 Funeral Assistant
Bob was born and raised in the Merrill area, and is a 1945 graduate of Merrill Senior High School. Bob served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theatre. After the war, he worked for various service stations for sixteen years. He later owned and operated Bob's Service Center on Merrill's west side. From 1972 until 1992 Bob worked in maintenance at Trinity Lutheran School. He then joined the staff at Waid Funeral Home as a Funeral Assistant.
Bob is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and enjoys woodworking, flower gardening and yard work.
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