Mersha retired in the mid-1920s, but he maintained contact with friends such as the missionary A. Jarousseau, according to historian Bahru Zewde.
His retirement comes after a long public service of important contributions in four key areas: border and railway security, public administration, economic development and diplomacy.
Mersha soon fell ill and was confined to bed for almost a decade.
He died in his mid-eighties, during the Italian occupation, and was laid to rest in the city of Harar.

Mersha nurtured a large family.
He and his wife Tedeneqyalesh were blessed with eleven children: Beyene, Negest, Zewditu, Alemu, Worqe, Desta, Yosef, Marqos, Negatu, Zegeye, and Medemdemya.
He encouraged his children to attend school and appreciate foreign languages.
Beyene Mersha, his eldest child, spoke French fluently.
Even his daughter (probably Zewditu) knew French.
She read a welcome speech to Colonel Jean-Baptiste Marchand (1863–1934), the French officer and explorer who traveled through Harar in 1899, according to the missionary Martial de Salviac.
Mersha loved take his family to important public events.
Martial describes how Mersha, a proud father, attended the opening ceremony of the Dawale railway station in 1900 surrounded by "a beautiful crowd of eight children."

The young Beyene Mersha traveled to France and Italy with Andre Jarosseau.
In 1903, on behalf of his father, he met in Dire Dawa with R.P. Skinner, the American diplomat sent by Theodore Roosevelt to sign a trade treaty with Menilek.
Mersha himself was present, however, when the first ever US diplomatic mission was ready to return home.
He was the one who conveyed the farewell message from the Emperor delivered over the phone.
Beyene was active in many areas of public service.
He was later appointed by Menilek as head of the postal and telephone office established in the frontier town of Dawale.
He went on to become balambaras and even took part in the campaign to remove Iyasu under the leadership of Fitawrari Tekle Hawaryat.
In 1931, during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, he was appointed director of the first Ethiopian School for Girls founded in Addis Abeba by Empress Menen.
He also served as head of the Dessie-Asseb road construction project undertaken by a team of Dutch engineers, according to a recently published book by the renowned Blata Merse Hazen Wolde Qirqos.

Ato Denqu, husband of Negest, was appointed in 1907 as the first head of Dire Dawa's Post Office.
He traveled to Europe (e.g. Switzerland and Italy) to attend meetings of the International Postal Union after Ethiopia became a member in 1908.
Many grandchildren and great-grandchildren live and work in Ethiopia and around the world.
The most notable descendant today, Ato Abinet Gebremeskel, is a successful businessman and philanthropist in Ethiopia.
The author of this short biography (click here for Amharic version of the Bio), is the grandson of Zegeye Mersha and great-grandson of Mersha.

Mersha's legacy includes a street named after him in Kezira (Gezira), a subsection of Dire Dawa during the reigm of Emperor Haile Selassie.
He was remembered and honored when the railway city celebrated its 105th anniversary in December 2007.

However, Mersha is still very much a forgotten hero.
His biography remains unwritten and his distinguished service is poorly known by many scholars and students of Ethiopian history.
In his book titled Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia: The reformist Intellectuals of the early twentieth century, Professor Bahru Zewde describes the contributions of many historic personalities of that dynamic era.
The book does not mention Mersha as a pioneer.
However, some of the reformist intellectuals discussed had either administered the offices he helped establish or occupied the positions he held before.
Neggadras Gebrehiwot Baykedagn (c.1885-1918), arguably the foremost intellectual of the time, for example, was director of the Dire Dawa customs administration.

Fitawrari Tekle Hawariat Tekle-Mariam (1884–1977), who later became governor of Jigjiga; credited for founding Asebe Teferi
Mersha retired in the mid-1920s, but he maintained contact with friends such as the missionary A. Jarousseau, according to historian Bahru Zewde. His retirement comes after a long public service of important contributions in four key areas: border and railway security, public administration, economic development and diplomacy. Mersha soon fell ill and was confined to bed for almost a decade. He died in his mid-eighties, during the Italian occupation, and was laid to rest in the city of Harar.
Mersha nurtured a large family. He and his wife Tedeneqyalesh were blessed with eleven children: Beyene, Negest, Zewditu, Alemu, Worqe, Desta, Yosef, Marqos, Negatu, Zegeye, and Medemdemya. He encouraged his children to attend school and appreciate foreign languages. Beyene Mersha, his eldest child, spoke French fluently. Even his daughter (probably Zewditu) knew French. She read a welcome speech to Colonel Jean-Baptiste Marchand (1863–1934), the French officer and explorer who traveled through Harar in 1899, according to the missionary Martial de Salviac. Mersha loved take his family to important public events. Martial describes how Mersha, a proud father, attended the opening ceremony of the Dawale railway station in 1900 surrounded by "a beautiful crowd of eight children."
The young Beyene Mersha traveled to France and Italy with Andre Jarosseau. In 1903, on behalf of his father, he met in Dire Dawa with R.P. Skinner, the American diplomat sent by Theodore Roosevelt to sign a trade treaty with Menilek. Mersha himself was present, however, when the first ever US diplomatic mission was ready to return home. He was the one who conveyed the farewell message from the Emperor delivered over the phone. Beyene was active in many areas of public service. He was later appointed by Menilek as head of the postal and telephone office established in the frontier town of Dawale. He went on to become balambaras and even took part in the campaign to remove Iyasu under the leadership of Fitawrari Tekle Hawaryat. In 1931, during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, he was appointed director of the first Ethiopian School for Girls founded in Addis Abeba by Empress Menen. He also served as head of the Dessie-Asseb road construction project undertaken by a team of Dutch engineers, according to a recently published book by the renowned Blata Merse Hazen Wolde Qirqos.
Ato Denqu, husband of Negest, was appointed in 1907 as the first head of Dire Dawa's Post Office. He traveled to Europe (e.g. Switzerland and Italy) to attend meetings of the International Postal Union after Ethiopia became a member in 1908. Many grandchildren and great-grandchildren live and work in Ethiopia and around the world. The most notable descendant today, Ato Abinet Gebremeskel, is a successful businessman and philanthropist in Ethiopia. The author of this short biography (click here for Amharic version of the Bio), is the grandson of Zegeye Mersha and great-grandson of Mersha.
Mersha's legacy includes a street named after him in Kezira (Gezira), a subsection of Dire Dawa during the reigm of Emperor Haile Selassie. He was remembered and honored when the railway city celebrated its 105th anniversary in December 2007.
However, Mersha is still very much a forgotten hero. His biography remains unwritten and his distinguished service is poorly known by many scholars and students of Ethiopian history. In his book titled Pioneers of Change in Ethiopia: The reformist Intellectuals of the early twentieth century, Professor Bahru Zewde describes the contributions of many historic personalities of that dynamic era. The book does not mention Mersha as a pioneer. However, some of the reformist intellectuals discussed had either administered the offices he helped establish or occupied the positions he held before. Neggadras Gebrehiwot Baykedagn (c.1885-1918), arguably the foremost intellectual of the time, for example, was director of the Dire Dawa customs administration.
Fitawrari Tekle Hawariat Tekle-Mariam (1884–1977), who later became governor of Jigjiga; credited for founding Asebe Teferi
Mersha Nahusenay