Kentucky New Era, Monday, May 2, 1994

Barbara Mae Croney Merritt, a former state track champion for Christian County High School, has died in Pennsylvania.

Merritt, 41, State College, Pa., formerly of Hopkinsville, died Thursday at Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania, of natural causes.

She led Christian County to state championships in 1969 and 1970. In addition, she won the 220-yard dash and anchored the 440 and 880 relay teams that won the standing broad jump as a freshman in 1967. Her career also included winning a gold medal in the Los Angeles Junior Olympics in the 100-yard dash.

Services for Merritt will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gamble Funeral Home, with the Rev. N.A. Kirby officiating and burial in Cave Spring Cemetery.

Visitation with the family will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home.

A native of Christian County, she was born Aug. 20, 1952, daughter of John W. and Dorothy Croney. She was administrative assistant to the executive vice president and provost at Penn State University.

Merritt began working at Penn State in 1977 in the College of Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. From 1979-1988, she worked in several offices in central administration at the university. From 1988-90, she worked for the dean in the College of Engineering.

Merritt was a member of the Penn State Credit Committee and secretary for that committee. She also served on the advisory committee on faculty and staff health and was a board member of Community for Peace Education and Forum on Black Affairs.

She was a co-partner in College Culturally Distinctive. In 1970 she was the first female scholarship recipient at Kentucky State College.

Survivors include her husband, Earl F. Merritt; five brothers, John E. Croney, Jimmy Lee Croney, Donald Ray Croney and John R. Croney, all of Hopkinsville, and Sylva Croney, Lancaster, Calif.; and three sisters, Catherine Johnson, Atwater, Calif., and Rosemary Alexander and Readie Hudson, both of Hopkinsville.

Kentucky New Era, Monday, May 2, 1994

Barbara Mae Croney Merritt, a former state track champion for Christian County High School, has died in Pennsylvania.

Merritt, 41, State College, Pa., formerly of Hopkinsville, died Thursday at Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania, of natural causes.

She led Christian County to state championships in 1969 and 1970. In addition, she won the 220-yard dash and anchored the 440 and 880 relay teams that won the standing broad jump as a freshman in 1967. Her career also included winning a gold medal in the Los Angeles Junior Olympics in the 100-yard dash.

Services for Merritt will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gamble Funeral Home, with the Rev. N.A. Kirby officiating and burial in Cave Spring Cemetery.

Visitation with the family will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home.

A native of Christian County, she was born Aug. 20, 1952, daughter of John W. and Dorothy Croney. She was administrative assistant to the executive vice president and provost at Penn State University.

Merritt began working at Penn State in 1977 in the College of Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics. From 1979-1988, she worked in several offices in central administration at the university. From 1988-90, she worked for the dean in the College of Engineering.

Merritt was a member of the Penn State Credit Committee and secretary for that committee. She also served on the advisory committee on faculty and staff health and was a board member of Community for Peace Education and Forum on Black Affairs.

She was a co-partner in College Culturally Distinctive. In 1970 she was the first female scholarship recipient at Kentucky State College.

Survivors include her husband, Earl F. Merritt; five brothers, John E. Croney, Jimmy Lee Croney, Donald Ray Croney and John R. Croney, all of Hopkinsville, and Sylva Croney, Lancaster, Calif.; and three sisters, Catherine Johnson, Atwater, Calif., and Rosemary Alexander and Readie Hudson, both of Hopkinsville.