Selma MERRICK

MERRICK (Dale), Selma Gladys

Was born July 22, 1923, in Dayton, Ohio, and died April 10th 2022, at the age of 98. She follows, in death, her husband of 49 years, Willard Herschel Merrick, her parents and sister

Norma (Dale) Murphy. She is survived by her daughter Karen (Merrick) Zuercher, Randy Zuercher (son-in-law), grandchildren Brian (Meghan) Zuercher and Christine (Nate Ivan) Zuercher and 7 great-grandchildren. Also, nieces and nephew, Jackie Shade of Germantown, Judi Atchison of Sidney and Mike Merrick of Patriot, Ohio, along with many great-nieces and great-nephews and neighbors on Fredericksburg Dr. She meant the world to her family and was loved deeply. Her irreplaceable spirit and unique humor will be missed by all who knew her. Selma witnessed the Great Depression, prohibition, WWII, the Moon landing, 9/11, and sailed through a recent bout of COVID-19 with barely a mention. She grew up poor when most families had very little and often recalled her

parents making homemade root beer in the basement,

getting by despite the little they had. Selma went to Steele High School and graduated from Stivers her senior year in 1941. She worked at GM (formerly Delco) for several years in downtown Dayton as a comptometer at a time when it was rare for women to work and bought her family their first car and television. She was brave, independent, and fiercely intelligent. Her family could not afford to send her to college but she would have excelled if she had attended and spent her entire life learning. She knew all the counties in Ohio and could tell you the capital of every country in the world. She spent her retirement pouring over maps and atlases. As a young woman she traveled across the United States alone and went to Cuba with a girlfriend, only to ditch her for a date with an elevator operator. In 1956, she eloped with Willard in Paris, Indiana, wearing a navy blue pant suit and they celebrated modestly after the ceremony with sandwiches. Selma was a loyal Cincinnati Reds fan. She and Willard had season tickets for decades and partied with Marty and Joe and members of the Big Red Machine. In her later years, she did not shy away from living. She drove until her late 80's and was still getting speeding tickets. She had a little too much fun at her neighborhood margarita parties. She tagged along on family vacations and regaled her family with stories about dating Willard. On one of her last vacations in Topsail, NC, Selma played board games all night and then her family carried her down to the ocean in her wheelchair. She was not encumbered by time or the physical limitations that come with age. The family will receive guests Monday, April 18th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Baker-Hazel & Snider Funeral Home, 5555 Philadelphia Dr. at N. Main St., followed by services at 12:30 p.m. by Rev. Jay McMillen. Inurnment Dayton National

Cemetery. A sincere thank you to the nurses, aides and staff of Englewood Health and Rehab, and Day-City Hospice, who took great care of her in her final years. Contributions may be made to Aullwood in her memory. Online condolences for the family may be sent to www.bakerhazelsnider.com.