Howard W. Skiles, 97

Howard W. Skiles, age 97, of Montpelier, Ohio, died at 7:20 P.M. on Sunday, December 8, 2019, at Hillside Country Living near Bryan, Ohio, where he was a resident.  Mr. Skiles was a 1940 graduate of Edon High School and was a lifelong farmer.  He was a veteran of World War II, serving as a Staff Sargent in the United States Army in the Pacific Theatre.  He was an active member of Bethlehem Christian Union Church, serving as first elder for thirty-six years and as a teacher for sixty-four years.  In the community he served as Williams County Commissioner for eight years with six as president and was president of the Senior Citizen program, the Ohio Council of Farm Cooperatives, the Correction Commission, Maumee Valley RC & D program, and the Soil and Water Conservation District.  He was a member of the Farm Bureau Camp, serving as the four county representative and State Trustee, was a member of the Ag Hall of Fame, representing distinguished service to agriculture presented by the Ohio Farm Bureau, and was a member of Edon American Legion Post #662.

Howard W. Skiles was born on November 21, 1922, in Licking, Missouri, the son of Davis E. and Alice M. (Cotton) Skiles.  He married Thelma Kathleen Myers on December 11, 1943, and she preceded him in death on November 16, 2017.

Survivors include three sons, Lynn (Lilly) Skiles, of Montpelier, Ohio, Lonn (Gloria) Skiles, of Cullman, Alabama, and Reverend Neal (Ellen) Skiles, of Heath, Ohio; one daughter, Susan (Michael) Long, of Edon, Ohio; ten grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and one brother, Hugh Mac Skiles, of Fremont, Indiana.  He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Roger Tharp; a granddaughter, Pamela (Tharp) Grasso; a grandson, Jason Lee Skiles; two step-granddaughters, Kerrie Duke and Kimberly Barnett; one brother, Hershel Skiles; and two sisters, Alma Fox and Oleen Faulhaber.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 13, 2019, from 6:00-8:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 204 West Indiana Street, Edon.  Services will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at 11:00 A.M. in the Bethlehem Christian Union Church, 04016 County Road M.50, near Edon, with his son, Reverend Neal Skiles, officiating.  The family will also receive visitors in the church for one hour prior to the service, beginning at 10:00 A.M.  Interment will be held in Edon Cemetery with grave side military rites conducted by Edon American Legion Post #662 and the United States Army Honor Guard.

Memorials are requested to Bethlehem Christian Union Church, 04016 County Road M-50, Edon, Ohio 43518, or Anna’s House at Hillside Country Living, 09876 County Road 16, Bryan, Ohio 43506.