Emma E. Tedrick

Age 91, of Canton, passed away peacefully Sat., Dec. 27, 2014, in the Legends of Massillon.  She was born June 1, 1923, in Guernsey County, OH, a daughter of the late A. J. and Elizabeth (Hunnell) McElwee, the third of five children, and had been a Canton resident since 1942.  Emma was Valedictorian of her 1940 graduation class of Madison High School.  She also graduated Magna Cum Laude with both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Education from Kent State University.  Emma worked as a secretary for the U. S. Navy in Norfolk, VA and later returned home to Canton with her family to work at the E. W. Bliss Co.  She then dedicated her life to the education of children, and retired in 1984 from Canton City Schools, having taught Language Arts at Harter, Hartford, and Woodland Elementary Schools.  In 1985 she was co-founder of Hearing Impaired Kids Endowment Fund (H.I.K.E.), which provides hearing aids to children all over the world, and to date over twelve million dollars has been donated and used for these children.  Emma loved the Lord and was an active member of Northwest Church of Christ, and previously Walnut Avenue and Market Avenue Churches, Delta Chapter #539, Order of Eastern Star, served as Guardian of Bethel 31 in Canton, Grand Guardian of Ohio, and  Supreme Guardian for Order of Job's Daughters International from 1985-1986, for which she was honored with both the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Order of Royal Purple Award,  College Club of Canton, City of Flags Chorus, the Sweet Adelines Chorus, and the Ohio and Stark County Retired Teachers Associations.  Emma also enjoyed playing Euchre and Bridge, reading, fishing in Canada, and vacations with family and friends.  She was dearly loved as a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.  She will be greatly missed. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Cletis H. Tedrick, on June 21, 2005, and two brothers, Lester and Wayne McElwee.  Survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Keith Kull, of Canton; her son and daughter-in-law, James and Robyn Tedrick, of Dover; eight grandchildren, James (Anne) Tedrick, Amy (Dan) Albrecht, Andrea (Shaun) Womack, Erin (Brady) Hammond, Cheri (Jon) Erickson, Mathew (Martha) Dreher, Marcus Dreher, and Michael Dreher; ten great-grandchildren, Katlyn, Cody, Shawna, Zoe, Gage, Luke, Yarlie, Xavier, Delaney, and Alexander;  two sisters, Helen Gregg, of Cambridge and Ruth Holmes, of New Concord, OH;  and a sister-in-law, Ruth McElwee, of New Philadelphia, OH.  Services will be held Friday at 12 Noon in Formet-Clevenger & Gordon Funeral Home with her son-in-law, Keith Kull, Minister, officiating.  Interment will be in Old Washington Cemetery in Old Washington, OH.  Friends may call Friday from 10 a.m. - 12 Noon before the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Emma's memory may be made  to the H.I.K.E. Fund, c/o Amy Young, 170 Takacs Dr., Wadsworth, OH 44281,or the Northeastern Ohio Christian Youth Camp, 8122 St. Jacob Logtown Rd., Lisbon, OH 44432.  Condolences may be sent to: www.gordonfuneralhomes.com

Gordon (330) 456-4766