When Merrill Ririe Charlton was born on April 5, 1929, in West Weber, Utah, he was the tenth child of his father, Albert Ray Charlton, who was 38 and his mother, Maggie Genett Hogge Charlton, who was also 38. He also had a younger sister and a younger brother.

One of his sisters says that her greatest memory of Merrill as a child was that there was no holding him down. He learned to bridle and ride a horse at an early age. No one ever knew where he was after that. He rode that horse all over West Weber.

One day he came running into the house telling his sister to hide him. The neighbor was mad at him and threatened, "Wait until I get my hands on you." She was afraid for him, knowing the temperament of the neighbor, so he put him into the cellar and covered the door in the floor with a rug. She had to lie to the neighbor and say she had no idea where Merrill was.

Merrill is very well known for his antics and great sense of humor. When he called his sister he always said, "This is your favorite brother."

Merrill married Lula Arvona Howard on January 24, 1947 when he was 17 years old. They had four children, Randy was the oldest and then Ronnie. In about 1952 Launa joined the family. Then on April 26, 1954 Rickey was born. Rickey was born with health problems and his short life ended on June 11, 1954.

He married Beverly Joan Robinson on November 26, 1958, in Nevada when he was 29 years old. They had two beautiful daughters.

On March 13, 1987 he married Shirley Kay Hernandez in Clark County Nevada, when he was 57 years old. At the time of Merrill's death on February 20, 2016, they had been married for 28 years.

When Merrill died at the age of 86, they were living in Bullhead City, Arizona.

He was survived by 11 children, 66 grandchildren and great grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren with more on the way. He was also survived by four sisters and one brother. His son Rickey preceded him in death.