Merle J. Kendall, age 96, of Dale, passed away at 6:52 p.m., on June 29, 2026, at Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper.
He was born on April 1, 1930, in Lincoln City, to Noah Wesley and Martha (Meriwether) Kendall. On December 31, 1948, he married the love of his life, Joy Medcalf.
Merle worked most of his life in the banking business. He began his banking career as a teller at Dale State Bank in 1954. He worked there for 12 years. In 1966 he and Joy, along with local businessman William Koch, purchased controlling interest in the Lake State Bank in Richland. They soon added a branch in Santa Claus to support the development of the fledgling Christmas Lake Village. The Santa Claus branch became the main office and the bank’s name was changed to Spencer County Bank. Through his leadership the bank grew from a tiny two million dollar bank to one with five offices in Spencer County and $132 million in assets. Merle was an insightful leader keeping the bank on the forefront of new technologies, products and services, being the first Spencer County based bank to offer ATMs and one of the first in southern Indiana to offer debit cards. He served as President of the bank until 2016 and remained as Chairman of the Board until February 2025. He was also instrumental in the development of the shopping center in Santa Claus and many other developments in the Spencer County area.
He received the Chamber of Commerce Businessman of the year award. He was inducted into the Indiana Bankers Association 40 Year Club and in 2019, was awarded the association’s highest honor with his selection into the Leaders in Banking Excellence group.
Merle enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending time maintaining and improving his property. He was a devoted fan of the Indiana Hoosiers and rarely missed an opportunity to cheer on their athletic teams. Above all else, Merle was a devoted family man who treasured every moment spent with those he loved.
He was preceded in death by his parents; four siblings, Maurice Kendall, Geneva Abney, Dolores Gardner and Imogene Kendall; one half-sibling, Reba Hoch; and by one son-in-law, Leroy Fischer.
He is survived by his wife of 78 years, Joy Kendall of Dale; three children, Debbie Fischer of St. Meinrad, Cindy (Bob) Lindauer of Dale and Steve (Amy) Kendall of Dale; seven grandchildren, Troy, Lance, Angela, Wesley, Dakota, Rae Ann and Haley; and by 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services for Merle J. Kendall will be held at 10 a.m. CDT on Monday, July 6, at Rainey Funeral Home in Dale. Burial will take place at Dale Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. CDT, Sunday July 5, at Rainey Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Friends of Lincoln State Park in loving memory of Merle. Condolences may be shared online at www.raineyfuneralhome.com.
