Marvin S. Hilty

Marvin was born on December 18, 1929, in Massillon, to the late Noah and Elizabeth (Raber) Hilty, attended Fountain Nook School (Township #7) and graduated from Sterling High School in 1948.  He attended Eastern Mennonite College and Kent State University, ultimately graduating from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science in 1966.  He married Mary L. Richard on June 7, 1951, at Crown Hill Mennonite Church in Rittman.  Mary died on July 9, 2018.

He worked with his parents on the family farm, interned with Auble Funeral Home in Orrville, and worked with Gillman Funeral Home in Rittman as well as Surge Services.  He worked as a Funeral Director and Embalmer, purchasing Swope Funeral Home, Belle Center, in 1968, providing funeral and ambulance services, and set up an additional funeral home in Rushsylvania in 1970.  He sold the funeral homes in 1982 to Mr. Rose, who eventually sold to Eichholtz Funeral home in 1995.  He continued to work for Eichholtz from 1995 until his retirement in 2016, as well as providing vacation coverage for many funeral directors in Ohio.

Marvin was a member of Crown Hill Mennonite Church in Rittman and attended the Belle Center United Presbyterian Church as well as the Worthington Presbyterian Church.  He was a former member of the Ohio and National Funeral Directors Associations, Ohio Embalmers Association, F&AM Masonic Lodge #209 in Bellefontaine, Rushsylvania Lions Club, Belle Center Kiwanis and was a 30 year member of the Belle Center Fire Department.

Surviving are two daughters, Carol M. (Donald) Ebersole of Goshen, IN and Cheryl M. Hilty of Columbus; three sons, Dale M. Hilty of Bellefontaine, Duane M. Hilty of Columbus, and Donald M. Hilty of Sacramento, CA; five grandchildren, Sarah Hilty of Atlanta, GA, Meredith Ebersole of Portland, OR, Matthew (Ariel Jewer) Ebersole of Goshen, IN, Armoni Hilty of Sacramento, CA, and Lilly Hilty of Menlo Park, CA.

In addition to his parents, and wife, Mary, he was preceded in death by  a brother, Franklin L. Hilty.

Friends may call on Sunday, July 23, 2023, at Eichholtz, Daring & Sanford Funeral Home, 306 N. Elizabeth Street, Belle Center, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm or on Monday, July 24, 2023 at Crown Hill Mennonite Church, 9693 Benner Road, Rittman, from 11:00 am to 1:45 pm.

Services will be held at 2:00 pm on Monday, at Crown Hill Mennonite Church, with Pastors Dan Hooley and Thomas Dunn officiating. Burial will take place at the Crown Hill Mennonite Cemetery in Rittman.

Memorials may be made to any of the churches that Marvin attended.