Funeral services for Ernest G. Priddy, Age 90 of Gainesville, Missouri will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026 in the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home chapel, Gainesville. Visitation will be Friday morning from 10 a.m. to service time. Burial will be in the Clear Springs Cemetery near Dawt, MO. Arrangements are under the direction of Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Gainesville, MO.
Ernest Stacy Priddy, Son of Oliver Priddy and Coral (Hoyt) Priddy was born on August 17, 1935 in Madison County, Iowa. He passed away at the Gainesville Health Care Center, Gainesville, Missouri on January 10, 2026 at the age of 90.
Erny as he was called by his friends graduated from Oak Park Academy in Nevada, Iowa in 1953. He attended college at Union College, Nebraska where he learned the printing business and met Dorla Roberts who he married on September 25, 1955.
Erny worked in the Print Shop business his entire adult life. A year was spent in Washington DC. For 13 years he worked as Print Shop Manager at OPA in Nevada, Iowa. This is where their 3 children were born. In 1969, Erny and family went to Puerto Rico as missionaries. They spent 10 years in Puerto Rico working in the print shop at Antillian College. The next two years were spent at a hospital in Avon Park, Florida doing printing. In 1982, Erny and Dorla went as missionaries to Haiti for 12 years and ran the print shop there which was again connected to a Seventh-Day Adventist college. The last 3 years of his Mission work was at Montemorelos University in Mexico, again in the print shop.
Erny enjoyed many activities such as riding his motorcycle, private pilot time, scuba diving, hiking, camping, and boating. He enjoyed singing, his church time and family time.
In retirement, Erny and Dorla lived in Oregon, Iowa and more recently moved to Tecumseh, Missouri near daughter Diane. Due to health reasons Erny went to live at the Gainesville Health Care Center a little over a year ago. Erny was a member of the Next Step Seventh-day Adventist church in West Plains, Missouri.
Erny was preceded in death by his parents, one stepbrother, Carroll Chickering and one grandchild. Survivors include: daughter Diane (Joe) Easterday, Jeanene (Clark) Gittings, and Kenneth (Patricia) Priddy. Sisters: Valeta Peterson, Velda Johnson, Norma Ritchey, step siblings: Evelyn (Chickering) Mitchell, LaVanna (Chickering) Lambert, Steve Collins and Mike Collins. 19 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sunnydale Academy Worthy Student Fund, send to: Sunnydale Adventist Academy 6818 Audrain Road 9139 Centralia, MO, 65240 and specify the Worthy Student fund or you can donate on line https://sunnydale.org/ and chose the donate tab.
