Harry G. (Jerry) Fritts' Obituary
Harry Gerald Fritts went home to be with his Savior on February 23, 2023. No one who met him, forgot him; he made sure of that. You went away with a joke, a poem, a memento, or candy.
He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on February 9,1925. He never lost his southern accent after 71 years in Dayton, Ohio, and he loved his Southern heritage. He and his brothers spent much time and traveled many miles to track down their Fritts roots.
Herbert, his dad, gave Jerry an industrious and hard working spirit. They lived on a farm, a few years and Herbert, who was a carpenter like his grandfather before him, built their home by himself. Jerry’s mother, Leta was a godly prayerful influence on Jerry, as well as on many others in their community, and she introduced him to his savior, Jesus Christ, at Westview Methodist Church.
He was an ornery and active child and has told us all many tales. In 1943, at 18 he had a short stent in the Army during WWII. In 1945, he married Helen Williams, and they had a daughter, Carol Lynn on November 11, 1945. They divorced in 1946.
Jerry was a very good-looking young man and always looked sharp. He trained as a draftsman and had several jobs, including a cab driver. Jerry joined the painter’s union, The IUPAT, and traveled as a painter for several years, setting up job sites all over the country. In 1951 he met Margaret Annabelle Ulman in Akron, Ohio and they were married. They moved to Knoxville Tennessee, and Cynthia Marie (Fritts) Buck was born there on June 19, 1952.
That same year, they moved to Dayton, Ohio where they met Gerald Fleming, the pastor at Dayton Baptist Temple. Jerry rededicated his life to Christ, attended the church and was the youth pastor for a while. He helped paint the new building, including the ceiling that was 50 feet high. On January 12, 1954, Cathy Jerilyn (Fritts) Hill Was born. Soon after that, Jerry and Margaret were instrumental in starting Vandalia Baptist Temple in their home, and shortly after Jerry felt called to be a preacher. On September 25, 1957, Timothy Gerald Fritts was born, and shortly after his birth the family left for Arlington, Texas, pulling a 35 foot trailer with a station wagon.
Jerry attended Bible Baptist Seminary in Arlington, Texas, full-time while supporting a family as the maintenance, handyman, do-it-all man for the seminary. During that time, he had a large vegetable garden, build a log cabin playhouse, built on to the trailer, and would preach and sing at churches whenever he could. During the summer they would return to Dayton so he could work. He graduated in May 1960, after which they moved back to Dayton, Ohio. Rebekah Ann (Fritts) Stein was born in Dayton on November 19,1961.
Jerry would go on for the next few years and preach at the mission, the prison, was part of the deaf ministry at church, and went on several trips with pastor Fleming to the holy land. The family attended Washington Heights Baptist Church and West Street Baptist for a few years. During those years, he worked as a painter and even started his own company for a while. Before he retired, he worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as a maintenance painter. After he retired, he ran the apprentice program for Mike Thomas at the #249 local painters union and ended up being in the union for 72 years.
Jerry was known to build anything he put his mind to. He added a porch to his house, extended the living room, and built a garage and barn in the back. He had a motorcycle and for a while had an obsession with Corvairs. For years the driveway would have several Corvairs he was working on. Also, he was a Mason for 70 years.
Jerry had a booming voice, intimidated many of his daughters’ suitors. He could never answer in a routine manner. He always wanted to seem young and vibrant and wanted to tell a story or a joke or sing a song. Even in his later years, nurses at the hospital and rehab center would be serenaded and the doctors heard many a poem when Jerry would visit.
You could always always count on him to be there if you were in need. Friends and family members would call with car trouble or need help with house renovations, and he would be there in a short time to help. He loved his sons-in-law and daughter-in-law and would do anything to help them.
Jerry hated getting old, and dependent and longed to go home to Jesus at the end of his days. He had a very positive and grateful spirit, and everyone who met him loved him. He has left a big hole in our lives and will be greatly missed.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret (Ulman) Fritts , mother, Leta (Wise) Fritts, father, Herbert Fritts, great-granddaughter, Ava Buck, great-grandson, Ames Buck, brothers, Larry Fritts, Thomas Fritts, Sidney Fritts, and sister, Barbara (Fritts) Page.
He left behind his sister, Ruth Ann (Fritts) Perry, daughters Carol Johnson, Cynthia Buck (Michael), Cathy Hill (Chris), Becky Stein (Doug), and son Tim Fritts (Marcia), 14 grandchildren, Randy Hill (Lisa), Mindee (Hill) Berg (Jeff), Eric Hill (Caren), Brett Hill, Joshua Buck (Shelly), Geoffrey Buck (Sarah Beth), Emilee (Fritts) Munafo (Jason), Jessica (Fritts) DiPerna (Anthony), Megan (Fritts) Myers (Ricky), Molly (Fritts) Crotty (Sean), Nicole(Stein)Cook (Aaron), Lindsay (Stein) Blakely (Adam), Brooke (Stein) Shoemaker (Paul), and Brandon Stein, and 30 great-grandchildren, with twins on the way.
Visitation will be Thursday, March 2 from 6-8 PM and Friday, March 3 from 11:00-12:30 PM at Cornerstone Baptist Temple (1707 Ohmer Ave Dayton, OH 45410). Funeral service is Friday, March 3 at 12:30 PM, with graveside service to follow at Miami Valley Memory Gardens.
Donations to the following ministries can be sent instead of flowers:
Josh and Shelly Buck Family ministries
https://www.joshandshellybuck.org/invest
Back2Back Ministries
https://www.back2back.org/donations
You are welcome to send a condolence, plant a tree, and share a story or picture about Harry at www.ConnerAndKoch.com.
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