Lorene “Ma Ma” Merritt, age 89 of Gunter, Texas passed away on February 13, 2011 in Gunter. She was born on September 23, 1921 to Oliver Newton and Annie Gertrude (Jones) McCarty. Lorene married James Merritt on June 8, 1939 in Collin County, Texas. She was a Homemaker and a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Gunter. Lorene is survived by her husband, James Merritt of Gunter, Texas; children, Janice Willard and her husband, Joe Frank of Plainview, Texas, Jimmy Merritt and his wife, Judy of Celina, Texas, Carol Pennington and her husband, Bruce of Harrisburg, Arkansas, Steve Merritt and his wife, Patricia of Van Alstyne, Texas; twelve grandchildren; twenty-five great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; several nieces and nephews and a host of friends. Lorene is preceded in death by her parents and her brothers and sisters. The family will receive friends at a Visitation to be held prior to the Funeral Service on Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 beginning at 12:30 PM at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Gunter, Texas. Funeral Services will be held at the Funeral Home at 2:00 PM with Mr. L.D. Byrd officiating. Interment will follow at Cottage Hill Cemetery in Celina, Texas.