Ira Wayne Meredith, 94, left this world on Saturday Oct. 5, 2024 surrounded by his loving family and caregivers at his home in Roundhill.
The Edmonson County native was born April 16, 1930 to the late Oma Meredith and Carlie Carroll Meredith in Salem. He was married to the love of his life, Willie Mae Hampton Meredith for 50 years before her passing in 2007. He was also preceded in death by his only sibling, Coy Meredith who was a career US Navy officer who served during World War II in Pearl Harbor and other parts of the world. Ira was a proud US Navy veteran, as well, and served aboard the USS Leyte during the Korean War. After joining the Navy at age 17, he spent the next 5 years traveling the world enjoying the many places he was able to visit.
Ira, “I.W.”, “W”, “Wayne” and “Babe”- as he was called by his mother- had many nicknames over the years from the friends he obtained while working as a master carpenter and millwright. Many of the buildings he worked on were on WKU’s campus, as well as the BGMU water plant and The Medical Center at Bowling Green. He was always available to help his friends and neighbors with any project they could dream up- often leaving projects at home to wait. He would always have a solution. He was also a lifelong member of Falls City Carpenters Union.
Ira was saved as a young boy at New Salem General Baptist Church, where his father- Oma- donated the land where the church and cemetery are now located near the Meredith Family Farm in Salem. He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting and trapping, vegetable gardening and especially flower gardening. He was known in his community as someone who had a green thumb and the most beautiful flowers in the area.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM Wednesday at Gravil Funeral Home, after which, he will be laid to rest with his wife in Cub Creek Cemetery. Visitation will take place 2-8 PM Tuesday and after 10:00 AM Wednesday.
Ira leaves to honor his memory three daughters, Lisa Stanton (Ronny) and Sharon Sanders (Johnnie) both of Bee Spring and Sandy Alford (Bobby) of Roundhill; seven grandchildren, Jennifer Dickens, Keith Alford, Alison Sanders, Kelli Alford-Miller (Alan), Seth Stanton, John Cody Sanders (Brooklyn) and Abby Stanton; a great granddaughter whom he loved dearly and fondly referred to as, “My Girl” in his last days, Theia Thomasin Miller; a great grandson that he never got to meet that Kelli and Alan are expecting in November; a sister-in-law, Shirley Hampton; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Cub Creek Cemetery Fund or Boys Town International.
