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Sherman O. Cape, age 100, of Edgerton, Ohio, passed away at 3:24 A.M. on Sunday, April 4, 2021, in his home, surrounded by his family. Mr. Cape attended Clarksville Country School for four years, then enrolled in St. Mary Catholic School in Edgerton and was a 1939 graduate of Edgerton High School. A lifelong farmer and hard worker, he was born and raised on the farm, starting out farming with horses walking behind a plow and milking cows by hand. He moved to the era of tractors, electricity, milking cows by machine, having telephones to communicate, seeing a man step on the moon and the age of computers, while raising his family on a dairy farm. Sherman loved sports and had a passion for baseball, which he played for thirty-six years at various levels. At age twelve he started with the Edgerton American League team; at age fourteen he played with the Hamilton, Indiana, City Team; and at age sixteen he played with the Edgerton Eagles City Team. After his graduation in 1939, he played for Carl “Red” Bercaw, who managed the Fort Wayne, Indiana, Federation team, and was chosen to play on the Decatur, Indiana, team at the National Federation Team Tournament in Youngstown, Ohio. Throughout his baseball career he played on twenty all star teams at the Williams and Hillsdale County fairs and played against many renowned players such as Ned Garver, Mel Held, Rudy York, Charlie Maxwell, Harvey Haddix, Lefty Crampton, Billy Thompson, Dusty Rhodes, Satchel Page, Verg Feeney, and many notable others. In 2003, he was chosen for the Hall of Recognition by the Williams County Historical Society and his baseball picture was hung in the Hall of Fame Room at the Williams County Fairgrounds. Following his baseball career he took up golf and played for twenty years.
Sherman was active in the community as a member of St. Mary Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus Council #1494, inducted in 1939 as a charter member. He served on the Edgerton Local School Board for eight years and the Production Advisory Board for three years and kept clock for Edgerton High School basketball for twelve years. Most of all, he was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great-great-grandfather.
Sherman O. Cape was born on February 5, 1921, on the family farm near Edgerton, the son of Guy C. and Agnes A. (Goebel) Cape. He married Rozella M. Suffel on September 11, 1943, in Edgerton, and she preceded him in death on August 15, 2019, after seventy-six years of marriage.
Survivors include his five children, Thomas (Loretta) Cape, Donna Blair, Ruby Cape, Neil (Diane) Cape and Stanley (Colleen) Cape, all of Edgerton; twelve grandchildren, Julia (Scott) Ruppert, of Hicksville, Ohio, Amy (Terry) McBride and Brenda (Kevin) Beck, both of Bryan, Ohio, Camie (Thomas) Flegal, James (Vicki) Blair and Randy (Julie) Cape, all of Edgerton, Kevin (Carmen) Cape, of Bryan, Charlene (William) Swank, of Edgerton, Joni (Matthew) Bockrath, of Kalida, Ohio, Alan (Tracy) Cape and Austin (Jessica) Cape, both of Edgerton, and Krista (Michael) Seibert, of Celina, Ohio; thirty-five great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; two brothers, Frank and Donald Cape, both of Edgerton; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was also preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Paul, Earl, Kermit and Conrad Cape; three sisters, Ellen Sleesman, Rose Mary Johnson and Rita (Blue) Wuebben; and a son-in-law, Ronald Blair, in 2019.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, from 4:00-7:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 114 East Hull Street, Edgerton, with recitation of the rosary at 7:00 P.M. Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11:00 A.M. on Thursday, April 8, 2021, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Edgerton with Reverend Daniel Borgelt officiating. Interment will follow in Maple Grove Cemetery, Edgerton.
Due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions, the family will receive friends while observing social distancing precautions. The family requests visitors use masks in accordance with state mandates. Anyone showing any symptoms of illness is asked to please share condolences by a phone call, email, text message, or leaving a condolence at the funeral home website.
Memorials are requested to Knight of Columbus Council #1494, St. Mary Catholic School, or Community Health Professionals Home Health and Hospice Care, 1215 South Portland Street, Bryan, Ohio.