Erma Crider Steedly

Erma Dean Crider Steedly, Bamberg, SC

Erma Dean Crider Steedly went to her eternal home on May 30, 2017.  She had celebrated sixty-one years of marriage with her husband, Dan Frank Steedly.

Other family members include her son, Timothy Franklin Steedly; her daughter, Denise Steedly Hayes; and her two granddaughters, Hayden Elizabeth Hayes and Greyam Rebekah Hayes.  She is also survived by her sister, Willie Crider Judy.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Euley Monroe Crider and Queenie Elizabeth Headden Crider, her infant son, Michael Dean Steedly, and her two sisters, Dorothy Crider Adicks and Doris Crider Smoak.

The funeral service will be held on Thursday, June 1, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. in the Spring Branch Baptist Church, 833 Deacon Road, Bamberg, South Carolina 29003, with the Reverends Troy Peterson and Kenneth Sandifer officiating. Immediately afterwards, there will be a graveside service in the adjacent church cemetery.  The family will greet friends and share memories at the church at 4:00 p.m. prior to the service.

Pallbearers will be Doyle Smoak, Jerry Montgomery, John David Steedly, Steven Breland, Bob Schumpert, and Sammy Garrick.  Honorary Pallbearers will be Greg Adicks and Sean Smoak.

Erma Steedly was born on April 13, 1937, and was the youngest of four daughters.  Even though, during this time, her family would have been struggling with the despair of the Great Depression in rural South Carolina, Erma never knew hunger or want.  Her parents instilled in her the bounteous blessings of family love, support and devotion that derives from honest farm living and hard work in the textile mills.

She married her childhood sweetheart, Dan Frank Steedly, on May 10, 1956.  For sixty-one years they practiced these same strong family values as they experienced the joys and dried away the tears that come from raising children and the daily companionship of living life together.

Erma lived her entire life enjoying the virtues of Bamberg, South Carolina.  She graduated from the Bamberg High School, and worked for a time in the garment manufacturing industry.  Being quite a talented seamstress, she frequently made custom clothes for people, wedding dresses, pillbox style hats and dresses in the style worn by Jacquelyn Kennedy.

Even though later in life she would also work at the local newspaper, her claim to fame was always that she was a devoted wife and loving mother.

She was an active member of Spring Branch Baptist Church where she taught children’s Sunday School for over thirty years.  Generations of church members will remember the Bible stories that Erma related every Sunday morning and practiced in her life the other days of the week.

Erma enjoyed feeding the birds from her countless bird feeders in her yard and then photographing these birds as they ate. She became quite the photographer with her digital camera as she particularly enjoyed taking pictures of her humming birds. Erma lived her life in her garden and also spent considerable time crocheting thousands of toboggan caps that she donated to the International Seafarers Ministry.  These caps are accompanied with religious tracts and provided to the crew of ships, many of which are international, that make their way into the Charleston, SC ship terminals.

Erma Steedly has enhanced the lives of family and friends for eighty years.  Her memory will be cherished.

If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Spring Branch Baptist Church, 833 Deacon Rd., Bamberg, SC 29003.

A special thank you to Grove Park Hospice for all of their special caring and help.

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