Charles Gaylord Anderson

Charles Gaylord ("Andy") Anderson, 105 (+ 157 days), went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ peacefully on October 7, 2023 at his home. Gaylord was a lifelong resident of Ashland County. He was born May 3, 1918 to Warren and Anna Anderson of Mohicanville. Gaylord was married to Esther (Sheriff) for 66 years until her death in March of 2013. He is survived by his two children, Patty (Floyd) Spreng of Lakeville, Bill (Sue) Anderson of Westerville, five grandchildren, Lori (Jef) Hitsman of Pickerington, Aaron (Amy) Spreng of Lakeville, Kevin (Kristy) Spreng of Shreve, Katie Anderson of Westerville, and Melissa (Joey) Belczak of Gahanna, as well as ten great-grandchildren, Claire, Lillian, Caleb, Ben, Austin, Noah, Callihan, Jordyn, Rhett and Rhea. Gaylord is preceded in death by his parents, wife, and four siblings. Gaylord loved his family, Cleveland Sports, the Ohio State Buckeyes, golf, and playing cards! Calling hours will be held at Fickes Funeral Home on Thursday, Oct. 12th from 4-7:30 pm; the funeral service will be held Friday, Oct. 13th at 10:00 am at the funeral home. Burial will take place at the Vermillion Cemetery in Hayesville. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Ohio Health Hospice or Hayesville Vermillion Twp. Fire Dept. Online condolences may be made at www.fickesfuneralhome.com. Andy lived a long, full life. He was born in a log cabin south of Mohicanville; moved to his grandparents' home at the age of 5; walked two miles to the Emrick one room Schoolhouse before Jeromesville School was built; placed two pennies in the time capsule at Jeromesville School during its construction; attended the Chicago Worlds' Fair in 1934 and he witnessed people removing bullet slugs from the brick wall in the alley where John Dillinger was killed the day before; saw Bob Fellers first ballgame pitched in 1936 at Cleveland; was an outstanding baseball player for the Loudonville Grange Hall teams; stayed home to farm during WWII; married Esther in 1946; built his current home in 1948 (which is where he passed away); helped build the GM plant in Ontario in 1955; was foreman for the H. C. Wheeler Construction Company in Ashland; and started Anderson Construction in 1970 which provided construction services for both commercial and residential customers; he was a former member of the Hayesville Lions Club and participated in the Hayesville Follies; member of Hayesville Methodist Church; and served on the Hillsdale School Board from 1968-1976. In addition to construction Andy loved woodworking and crafted many items for family and friends. He was always willing to assist someone when asked, and he was creative in finding solutions to problems. Gaylord enjoyed fishing, hunting, baseball, bowling, golf, and even got a hole in one on his 98th birthday at Round Lake Golf Course, where he continued to play in the senior league until the age of 103+. He loved to play cards and never passed up an opportunity to play a game of Euchre or any other card game for that matter. Gaylord's card partners were usually winners because he rarely lost! When asked why he thought he lived a long life he said, "Work hard, no smoking, no drinking, don't overeat and don't be lazy!" He thought of age as simply a number. Gaylord was a pretty special man—a great husband, dad, grandpa, great-grandpa, uncle, and friend. For God's glory and by His grace, Gaylord lived a life not wasted and lived it well! Posted online on October 09, 2023 Published in Times-Gazette, The Daily Record, Mansfield News Jour