Merrily (Ryder) Frede, the daughter of John A. and Kathryn (Hughes) Ryder, was born November 16, 1945, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Merrily attended Latrobe High School, where she was a leading member of the cheerleading team. After graduating in 1963, she was a dental assistant and fashion model for corporate businesses in the Pittsburgh area. 

On May 5, 1968, Merrily was united in marriage to Ron Frede at Holy Family Catholic Church, Latrobe. They made their home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where they had their first child, Bethany.

In the early 70s Ronald worked for Allied Chemical of Morristown, New Jersey, and was transferred to the San Francisco Bay area to represent the firm in the early years of the Silicon Valley expansion. In 1976 their second child, Stephany, was born, and Merrily and Ron started TOD, Inc., a technical labor contract company. Merrily was the president and under her guidance their business grew to have offices in multiple states around the country. They settled in the the San Francisco Bay area, where they had their last child, Jason. Merrily and Ron lived there for nearly 30 years. In 2007, after successfully merging their company with a large national corporation, Ron and Merrily moved to the family farm south of Rock Port. 

Merrily was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church, Latrobe, and was an active supporter of Native American charities. She loved studying genealogy, watching old western movies, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Merrily passed away Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Lincoln, Nebraska, at the age of 75.

Merrily was preceded in death by her parents. Survivors include husband, Ronald Frede, Rock Port; daughter, Bethany (Greg) Bajorek, Orangevale, California, their children, Samantha and Darren Bajorek; daughter, Stephany Frede, Ligonier, Pennsylvania, her children, Cole and Willa Smith, their father, Clay Smith; son, Jason Frede, Rock Port; siblings, Debra (Jeff) Muscatell, Milford, New Jersey, Tom (Patricia) Ryder, Latrobe, and brother-in-law, Jim (Donna) Frede, Lake Ozark, Missouri; plus several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, July 31, 2021, at High Creek Baptist Church, Watson, Missouri. Open visitation begins at 9:00 a.m., Friday, July 30, at Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port, where the family will receive friends from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Interment will be at High Creek Cemetery, Watson. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to High Creek Church and Cemetery, St. Joseph’s Indian School, Running Strong for American Indian Youth, or Local Catholic Charities. Online condolences may be left at www.minterfuneralchapels.com. Services are under the direction of Minter Funeral Chapel, Rock Port.