[Obituary] Snyder Funeral Homes - Mt Vernon, OH
Ernestine “Ernie” Ruth Gaddis, age 79, of Mount Vernon, formerly of Fredericktown, passed away Monday evening November 24, 2008 at the Laurels Nursing Care Facility in Mount Vernon, following a short battle with uterine cancer. Ernie was born February 28, 1929 in Saint Louisville, Ohio to Tom and Kenova (Yoder) Naylor and was a graduate of Howard High School and the Mount Vernon Business College.
Being a former cheerleader at Howard High School, Ernie was an avid sports fan especially the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and NASCAR. In fact, she was the oldest member of the Bill Elliot Fan Club. One of her greatest joys in life was watching her children; grandchildren and great grandchildren play or participate in drag racing, baseball, softball, football, cheerleading, dancing, soccer and swimming. An avid music lover she liked anything from country, to rock, to classic, such as Trace Adkins, Pink, and the Glenn Miller Band. What she loved most of all, however, was listening to her grandkids perform. She also enjoyed the other forms of creativity that her family possessed such as art and poetry. Nothing made her more proud than seeing the ones she loved so much doing what they loved. Not only did she love the creativity of her family, but also she loved expressing her own as well. She wrote mainly non-fictional short stories and poetry about her life, her family, and the love of her life, Clyde. Some of her writings were published. Writing was a passion in her life that will carry on for years to come. Some of her other interest included bingo, horse racing, sharp shooting, and casinos. With that came her love of traveling. Whether it be taking a trip to Las Vegas or driving around in her infamous blue Chevy. To Ernie nothing could beat the simple pleasures in life. Her family and friends were by far the most important to her. There was never a moment that passed that Ernie didn’t feel like the luckiest person to have so many wonderful people in her life. She was always the first to tell or show someone just how much they meant to her. It didn’t matter if she knew you for a day or a decade, you always felt her love. To Ernie, there was no such thing as a stranger.
Ernie was a member of the Fredericktown United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Women, and TOPS.
Surviving are her children Diana (Scott) Wyman of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Allan Gaddis, Rick Gaddis and Kevin Gaddis all of Mount Vernon; her grandchildren Darcy Jo (Joe) West, Jamie Gaddis, Tonya Gaddis, Jason Gaddis, T J Gaddis, Nathan Wyman, Alexandra (Alex) Gaddis and Rachel Wyman; great grandchildren Clinton West, Brett West, Jeremy West, Kayla West, Quinten Gaddis, Anna Gaddis and Wesley Gaddis; her brother Kenneth Naylor of Mount Vernon; sisters-in-law Patty Naylor of Mount Vernon and Pauline (Chuck) Griehl of Upper Arlington and a best friend Marilyn Kollas of Fredericktown. Besides her parents she was preceded in death by her husband Clyde Gaddis, her son Brian Gaddis, her brother Thomas E. Naylor II and a best friend Barb Phillips.
Ernestine was also head of the Gaddis Family Association.