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Barbara “Jeanne” Dallas Neer, 95, of North Lewisburg, died on Monday, April 22, 2019 at Vancrest Nursing Home in Urbana.
She was born in Urbana on March 17, 1924, to the late William Russell Dallas and Beatrice Thomas Dallas, and graduated from Urbana Local schools.
Aug. 26, 1945, she married John Luther Neer and partnered with her farmer husband in Tipp City, Mechanicsburg, Woodstock and Mingo, raising hogs, registered Angus cattle and feeder cattle. She also kept the records for the farm. It wasn’t unusual to see her driving the truck to the elevator to deliver the grain, helping give the pigs iron shots, driving the cattle or loading pigs.
She and her husband were members of the Spring Fork Grange while in Plumwood. She was a member of the Four Seasons Garden Club where she enjoyed giving programs, serving in every office, exhibiting flowers at the county fair, landscaping and garden tours. She was a frequent winner of best of show in floral design, a Master Gardener, regional garden club president and speaker.
She was a 4-H sewing advisor for many years and was an active and dedicated member of the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church.
She and her husband actively promoted beef throughout Ohio, at the county fair, Farm Science Review, the state fair and the Ohio Beef Council. She also was a past president of the Ohio Cattlewomen. She traveled to all 50 states and Brazil attending National Cattlemen’s convention regularly.
Through her business, Jeanne’s Gifts, she enjoyed creating floral wreaths, crafts and designs to please her customers. She and her husband reconstructed a pre-1820 log cabin on their property, which they rented for vacations and meetings, where they later retired.
She was preceded in death by her brothers, Keith, Robert and Donald (Marilyn), brother–in-law Richard Neer, sister-in-law Mary Jane (Neer) and Claude North, niece Melissa North Notestine and nephew Jack North.
She is survived by her husband of 73 years, her daughter Susan (Jim) Wish of Bellefontaine, her sons, Kent, Dale (Sara) of Marysville and Chris (Cheryl) of West Jefferson, sisters-in-law June Dallas and Juanita Neer, 10 grandchildren, Kasey, Kraig (Megan), Aimee (John) Braswell, Jason (Kristin) Wish, Jon (Kristen) Wish, Joel (Jodie) Wish of Bellefontaine, Clayton (Carol), Elizabeth Neer Petruziello, Thomas and Maureen, 17 great-grandchildren and 11 nieces and nephews.
A gathering of family and friends will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday in the Freshwater, McDonald & Vernon Funeral Home, North Lewisburg.
Pastor Karen Montgomery will lead a Celebration of Life at 11 a.m. on Monday in the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church.
Burial will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery, North Lewisburg.
Memorial contributions may be made to the North Lewisburg United Methodist Church, 124 W. Maple St., North Lewisburg, Ohio, 43060.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.vernonfh.com