Margery Smalley

Margery J. Smalley, 91, of Rockford, Ohio, passed away Sunday, December 6, 2015, at 10:35 a.m. at the Laurels of Shane Hill in Rockford. She was born in Wabash, Ohio, on August 22, 1924, to Rudolph H. and Edith C. (Bollenbacher) Smith. On June 21, 1951, she married David C. Smalley, and he preceded in death on June 6, 2013. She was a homemaker and worked with her husband on the farm. She graduated from Celina High School and moved to Rockford in 1951 when she married Dave. She was a member of the Rockford United Methodist Church. She loved gardening and always had a beautiful vegetable garden and lots of peach trees. After harvesting her wonderful bounty, she stayed very busy canning, and then enjoyed sharing them with friends and family. She loved her roses and loved nurturing them. Throughout the years, she had many cats, which brought her much joy and companionship, each one special to her. Surviving are her two children: her son, Robert (Susan) Smalley of Rockford, and her daughter, Kathy (Tom) Custer of Marysville, Ohio. Three grandchildren survive: Bryan Smalley of Dublin, Ohio; Clayton Custer of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Andrew Custer of Marysville, Ohio. A brother-in-law, Tom Smalley survives in Celina, Ohio. Services will be held at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, at Ketcham-Ripley Funeral Home in Rockford, with Pastor Chip Steffy officiating. Burial will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Rockford. Friends may call at the funeral home in Rockford, prior to the service, from 10: 00 a.m. until the time of the service at noon. Memorials may be directed to State of the Heart Hospice or the Rockford United Methodist Church.