Esther R. Byers
DANVILLE — Esther Rose Byers, 83, of Millersburg Road, Danville, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, at the OSU Medical Center.

She was born May 25, 1923, in Hookstown, Pa., to Ewart and Florence (Laughlin) Dawson. On July 1, 1941, she was married to Franklin F. Byers. She was a 60-year member of the Order of Eastern Star, Chapter 236, and was a member of the Danville Church of Christ and Ladies Aid.

She is survived by two sons, John (Jill) Byers and Jim (Debbie) Byers of Danville; grandchildren, Amy (Matthew) Ware, Brian Byers, Holly (Travis) Baker, Michael Byers and Christopher Byers; stepgrandchildren, Sandy Metcalf and Robin Norris; a great-grandson, Therin Baker; three stepgreat-grandchildren; a sister, Nellie Moore; and a brother, Paul (Cobie) Dawson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Franklin, who died on April 4, 2004; and brothers, Abe, William and Jim Dawson.

A funeral service will be held Saturday, Nov. 18, at 11 a.m. at the Fischer Funeral Home in Danville. Minister Craig Mulpas will officiate. Entombment will be in Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens. Calling hours will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. This information is online at www.fischerfuneralhome.com.

Henry A. Campbell
MOUNT VERNON — Henry A. Campbell, 89, of Martinsburg Road, Mount Vernon, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2006, at the Knox Community Hospital following a brief illness.

Henry was born Jan. 6, 1917, in Knox County to Hugh Floyd Campbell and Mary Bell (Davis) Campbell and had spent his lifetime in the Knox County area. He was retired from the jig room at Cooper Energy Services in Mount Vernon and was an active farmer on his farm south of Mount Vernon.

Henry was a member of the Farm Bureau, had served as chairman for the Knox County 4-H Saddle Club, was a member and past president of the Mohican Saddle Club and was a former member of the Colonial City Moose Lodge in Mount Vernon.

Surviving are his three sons, Raymond (Kathy) Campbell, Thomas Campbell and John Campbell, all of Mount Vernon; three grandchildren, Penny Campbell, Nicholas Campbell and Daniel Campbell; and a great-grandchild, Courtney Campbell.

Besides his parents he was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jane Campbell, in 1985; his sister, Ethel Pletcher; and three brothers, Edward Campbell, Carl Campbell and H. Earnest Campbell.

There will be no calling hours. A funeral service for family and relatives will be Friday at 2 p.m. at the Snyder Funeral Home in Fredericktown. Burial will follow at Forest Cemetery in Fredericktown.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Intensive Care Unit at Knox Community Hospital, 1330 Coshocton Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050. To send an online condolence to the family, visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.

Mary M. Crise Memorial notice
GAMBIER — Mary M. Crise, 72, of Gambier died Oct. 20, 2006. A memorial service will be held Saturday at 1:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ with the Rev. Keith Stuart, Ph.D, officiating. A reception will follow in the social hall of the church. The North-Dilley Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity of Knox County, 200 N. Main St., Mount Vernon, OH 43050. This obituary along with an online registry may be viewed at www.dilleyfuneralservice.com.

Joan Lee Crump
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Joan Lee Crump of Charlottesville, Va., and Topsham, England, died Monday, Nov. 13, 2006, at the University of Virginia Hospital, following a long battle with ovarian cancer.

Born in Gloversville, N.Y., she was the daughter of the writer and Arctic explorer Herbert Patrick Lee, and Elise Souls of Gloversville. She was 74. A graduate of Laselle Junior College in 1952, she was briefly a model for Filene’s of Boston before marrying Galbraith Miller Crump in the same year. Following her marriage she gave birth to five sons, four of whom survive her, and then took up a career as teacher in the Home Start program in rural Knox County, Ohio. On retirement she and her husband moved to Charlottesville to be close to their son, Andrew, a member of Innisfree Village, who had survived a severe automobile accident in 1975 and had been nursed back to health by her over a long illness. During retirement she took up quilting and became a prize-winning exhibitor in England and the United States, where a number of her quilts are in private collections.

She is survived by her husband, Galbraith; four sons, Andrew, Patrick, Timothy and Nicholas; a fifth son, Ian, died in an automobile accident in Kentucky in 2003; and nine grandchildren.

Funeral services will be Friday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Memorial Church, University Avenue. It is requested that no flowers be sent. Any donations should be made to Worksource Enterprise’s scholarship program in her name.

Gerald F. Kraft
MOUNT VERNON — Gerald F. Kraft, 76, of Fairway Drive, Mount Vernon, formerly of Apple Valley, passed away Tuesday afternoon, Nov. 14, 2006, at The Laurels of Mount Vernon.

He was born Nov. 12, 1930, in Massillon, a son of Quinton and Marion (Maier) Kraft. Gerald was the owner of Jerry’s Men’s Shop in Dalton for 22 years and a member of the Zion Lutheran Church near Danville, where he was a former member of the church council. His hobbies after retirement were going fishing and golfing.

Surviving Gerald are his wife, Adeline (Mueller) Kraft; a son, Bryan (Laura) Kraft of Hickory, N.C.; a brother, Vernon (Jackie) Kraft of Canal Fulton; sisters, Rachel (Robert) Pinkerton of Navarre, Joann (Clair) Rehm of Orrville and Marian (Paul) Featheringham of Russells Point; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Dorothy Marie (Gerber) Kraft, on July 30, 2003.

A memorial service will be held Friday, Nov. 17, at 11 a.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church near Danville with Pastors Bege Wiegman and Ed Winkler officiating. The family will receive friends at the church on Friday from 10 a.m. until time of the services.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Zion Lutheran Church, 20177 Wooster Road, Danville, OH 43014; or to Hospice of Knox County, 17700 Coshocton Road, Mount Vernon, OH 43050. These arrangements are under the care and direction of the Dowds-Snyder Funeral Home in Mount Vernon. To view this obituary or leave an online condolence to the family, visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.

Virginia D. Liston
GAMBIER — Virginia Delores (Eddy) Liston, 90 years young, died Nov. 11, 2006. She was born Sept. 27, 1916.

Her long struggle with illness has finally ended with her in eternal peace. She will continue forever in service of the Lord. She was a loving mother and with her soft kindness she touched many people’s lives.

Virginia was born and raised in Streator, IL., and was a devoted wife to Walden Willard Liston for 64 years. Her passing was on the day before their wedding anniversary. We pray that they will rest happily together for eternity. Although the family moved to many different states, her true home was in Gambier. In retirement Virginia and her husband enjoyed playing golf and traveled to many foreign countries where they served the U.S. State Dept. as members of The Retired Executive Service Corps. She was preceded in death by her husband; and son, Thomas.

She is survived by sister, Lola (Woodard) Reeder of Streator; daughters, Gretchen Harns of Magnolia, TX., Karen Ritchie of Utica, OH; sons, Timothy Liston of Merritt Island, FL., Michael Liston of Gambier, OH.; 10 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.

Funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at Community Christian Fellowship Church, located on Rt. 229 East of Gambier. Graveside service will continue at 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 20, in Utica Southlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Community Christian Fellowship Church Youth Group, 7805 Billman Road, Gambier, OH 43022. The Law-Baker Funeral Home, 34 N. Main St., Utica, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Edna M. Ricketts
ST. LOUISVILLE — Edna Mae Ricketts, 85, of St. Louisville, formerly of Springfield, died Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006, in Country Court Nursing Center in Mount Vernon.

She was born April 14, 1921, in Jackson, the daughter of Milton and Lettie (Simpson) Husted.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Joyce Mae and Thomas Postle of St. Louisville; son and daughter-in-law, Marvin A. and Michelle Ricketts; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Milton and Lettie (Simpson) Husted; husband, Marvin D. “Beano” Ricketts, in 1995; son-in-law, Morris Walls; sister, Isabel Wilt; brother, Lawrence Ward; nephews, Bobby Ricketts and Billy Gelsinger; great-granddaughter, Kaylee Layton.

A gathering of family and friends will be Friday, Nov. 17, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Littleton & Rue Funeral Home, 830 N. Limestone St., Springfield, where funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. Evangelist Thomas Postle will officiate. Burial will be in Newcomers Cemetery. Condolences to the family my be expressed at www.littletonandrue.com.

Jean Wilson
MOUNT VERNON — Jean Wilson, 64, of Mount Vernon died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2006, at the Whispering Hills Care Center in Mount Vernon.

She was born July 20, 1942, in Wilmington, Del., to Winfred and Bertha (Kessler) Davis.

A daughter and a twin brother survive her. Her parents, a brother and her son preceded her in death.

Graveside service will be Monday at 2 p.m. in Mount Vernon Memorial Gardens. The Dowds-Snyder Funeral Home in Mount Vernon is in charge of arrangements. To send an online condolence to the family, visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.