I am sorry to say that Steve Mertz has passed away. His friends in the hobby know that Steve has fought a long battle with cancer. His son Jonah brought him to Muncie in January, but Steve was not well enough to stay for the actual jar show. I think Steve's passion for Mason jar collecting was exceeded only by his love for his family. I have enjoyed visiting with Steve at bottle shows over the past ten years whenever his kids' schedules of sporting events allowed him to attend. Please see the following link for Steve's obituary with funeral information. http://www.sharonherald.com/obituaries/x1736689828/Steven-C-Mertz Jim Sears <Link edited>