Obituary: Ned E. Myers, July 21, 2020
CRIDERSVILLE – Ned Edward Myers, 90, died peacefully on Monday, July 20, 2020 at 6:50 p.m. in his Cridersville home surrounded by his loving family. He was born March 31, 1930 in Lima, Ohio to Clarence and Anna Myers who preceded him in death. He was the third of three sons. He married Janice Arlene Aspinall in 1953. She also died peacefully surrounded by her loving family in their Cridersville home on October 29, 2013.
Ned and Janice have three loving children including a son, Gregory Myers; daughters Jennifer (Christopher) Saunders and Stacey (Brian) Cook, all living in Cridersville; three grandchildren, Elizabeth (Bradley) Niekamp, Coldwater, Ohio, Evan (Ashley) Saunders, Cridersville, and Ethan Saunders, Columbus, Ohio. They also have five great-grandchildren, Noah Niekamp, Ezekiel Saunders, Elijah Niekamp, Eleanor Saunders, and Abraham Niekamp.
Ned was also preceded in death by his brothers Elmer Myers and Clarence Myers; his sister-in-law Vera (Stemen) Myers, his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Jacqueline (Aspinall) and Raymond Stager, and Carl and Mary Lou (Allshouse) Aspinall.
Ned graduated from Lima South High School in 1948. He served in the U.S. Army in the Korean War. After returning from Korea, he joined his brother in the hardware business in Cridersville in 1953. Ned and his brothers had grown up on a farm just east of Cridersville. They attended Cridersville School. The family moved to Lima in 1941.
Ned was an avid sports fan. He graduated from Lima South High School in 1948. During his senior year, he was the quarterback for the South Tigers football team. When he moved back to Cridersville, he volunteered as the Cridersville Boys Acme Baseball Team coach. Later in life he also volunteered as a coach for the Little League Baseball Teams in Cridersville.
Ned and his brother Wes Myers operated Myers Pro Hardware in Cridersville from 1950 until 1996. Ned served as a trustee of the Ohio Hardware Association. Their Cridersville hardware won the Pro Hardware Dealer of the Year Award in 1968. In 1970 they purchased a second hardware in Celina. Wes and Vera moved to operate that store and Ned and Janice remained in Cridersville. Over the years, the Cridersville store became a local institution. Generations of Cridersville children fondly remember the store’s Candy Counter
Ned was very active in the Cridersville community. He was president of the Cridersville Business Association and helped to create the annual Halloween Parade and Festival. He served as president of the Cridersville Historical Society for more than a decade helping to create the local museum. He was a founding member of the Cridersville VFW. He was also a member of the Cridersville Volunteer Fire Department and served as its treasurer. He was always ready to help Cridersville in any way he could.
The family will receive friends Friday, July, 24, 2020 at Bayliff & Son Funeral Home, Cridersville from 1:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 to noon. The funeral service will follow at noon with Pastor Jonathan Spyker officiating. Burial will be St. Matthew Cemetery at a later date.
Online condolences may be shared at BayliffAndSon.com and memorials may be given to Legacy Park or Cridersville Historical Society.