Ross Edgar Shaw

Ross Edgar Shaw, 88, a former resident of Warsaw, passed away June 6, 2022, at Danbury Senior Living in Millersburg, Ohio. Some knew him as “Ross,”while family and close friends called him “Edgar.”

He was born March 21, 1934, to Alice Mae Williamson and Ross Davis Shaw on his grandparents, Charles Hayes and Selma (Scheibe) Williamson’s, farm near Blissfield (more recently, known as the Archie Williamson Farm). He graduated from Warsaw High School in 1952. He married Nancy Lou McCormick from Roscoe on Feb. 15, 1958.

Edgar spent his early childhood years on his grandparents’ farm, where he developed his life-long love and appreciation for horses from his uncle Archie Williamson. During his adult years, he bred and showed quarter horses for a number of years. He enjoyed watching a good horse race or rodeo throughout his life.

When Edgar was 22 months old, he lost his father in a logging accident in Holmes County. His mother remarried Floyd Fisher, and he spent the remainder of his childhood and teenage years on the Fisher family farm near Spring Mountain. While he remained an only child, he had very close ties to his extended family, including his Williamson cousins in the Blissfield area and his Hebron cousins in Warsaw, his aunt Ethel (Shaw) Hebron’s family. He was also a member of the Clark Township Baptist Church near Blissfield. His best friend since childhood is Owen (Junior) Mellor, a school classmate and currently a resident of Killbuck.

Although Edgar permanently injured an eye in a farming accident and was not required to enlist the military for that reason, it was important to him to serve his country, and he proudly served in the U.S. Army in Korea from 1955 to 1957. Upon his return from Korea, he continued to work on his stepfather and mother’s farm and for 15 years at Edmont-Wilson Glove Manufacturing Company in Coshocton. He was hired by Universal Cyclops Specialty Steel Division’s Coshocton plant in 1967 and continued to work there for 32 years until 1999, after the plant had been acquired by A-K Steel. Anyone who knew Edgar well was aware of his work ethic. He was a great provider to his family and worked two concurrent jobs for the majority of his life. He remained passionate about farming and was employed by Royce A. Bates (Beaver Fork Farm) of Warsaw as a laborer and later, farm foreman, for a number of years and also worked for his second cousin, Gordon Gamertsfelder, on his farm near Blissfield while continuing to work at the factories mentioned above.

Edgar loved to travel and explore new places. He took his family on numerous vacations, often with a camper in tow, throughout most of the lower 48 states and parts of Canada. His favorite place to return to was Teton National Park and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He was an avid and knowledgeable gardener, and he and his son, Todd, annually had three to four vegetable gardens throughout Warsaw for many years. He was a voracious reader and read a wide variety of books and publications when he had the opportunity to do so. He also was a huge fan of the Coshocton County Fair and never missed a year of attending the fair in decades until he lost the ability to walk long distances. He will be greatly missed by his family.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Nancy; two daughters and a son, Melissa Ann (Smith) of Swananoa, NC, Rebecca Lynn (Scott) Kuhn of Keene, and Ross Todd Shaw of Baxter, TN; four grandchildren, Zachary Allen of Columbus, Courtney Smith (Phil) of Lancaster, April (Christopher) Mealick of New Albany, and Brooke (Zack) Shaw of Cincinnati; four great-grandchildren, Cayden and Adalyn Mealick, and Hensley and Haisley Shaw.

He was preceded in death by his parents and stepfather; his father-in-law, Harry Severns McCormick; his mother-in-law, Lily Adeline (Bible) McCormick; his son-in-law, Harold Louis (Louie) Smith; and a granddaughter, Kalila D. Latham.

Visitation occurred on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the Fischer Funeral Home in Warsaw. Burial will be in the Valley View Cemetery at a later date. http://www.fischerfuneralhome.com

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org in his name. Cards may be sent to Nancy Shaw at Danbury Senior Living, 4245 Glen Drive, Millersburg, Ohio 44654.

Category: Obituaries