R. Martin Daugherty

R. Martin Daugherty, 95, of Fresno, Ohio, passed away peacefully on March 24, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Born on December 9, 1930, in Coshocton, Ohio, Martin was the son of the late Robert H. and Bernice (Martin) Daugherty.

He graduated as valedictorian from Keene High School in 1948 and attended The Ohio State University for one semester where, after the death of his father, he returned home to operate the family farm at the age of 18. On December 7, 1952, Martin married Marilyn Jean Shannon and they had five children - David, Diane, Susan, Mary and Bill. After the passing of Marilyn, Martin married Irene Roof in 1995. Then after the passing of Irene, Martin married Greta Scheurman in 2010.

Martin was a lifelong farmer seeing huge changes in his lifetime. He would often talk of milking two cows by hand before going to school as a young boy and farming with horses. By the end of his life the enterprise had grown with the installation of robots that milk the cows while tractors drive themselves in the fields. His son, Bill, and grandson, Kyle, joined the operation of Daugherty Farms and now continue its progress in agriculture.

Martin’s father started a hybrid seed corn business in 1936. When Martin came home from college at age 18, he continued and grew it until 2020. All of his children grew up detasseling seed corn in the summers. He thoroughly enjoyed visiting with farmers to make seed sales throughout Coshocton and surrounding counties.

He enjoyed traveling, visiting Brazil and China on agricultural tours, and going to many parts of the United States. Martin was involved in multiple organizations including the board of directors of the Frontier Power Company for 52 years and served on the state board for several terms. Martin was a member of the Keene United Methodist Church and Keene Hill Grange. In the past he was an advisor for the Millcreek Valley 4-H club, participated in the Walhonding Valley Farmers organization and Farm Bureau Council, served on the board of the Farmers Exchange, and played clarinet in the 4-H band.

Martin is survived by his wife, Greta Daugherty; sons, David (Sharon) Daugherty of Rockville, MD, and Bill (Caroline) Daugherty of Fresno; daughters, Diane Strouse of Coshocton and Mary (Mike) Stevens of Warsaw; son-in-law, Joe Thompson of Summerfield, OH; sister-in-law, Rose Daugherty of Coshocton; 16 grandchildren; 38 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Martin is preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Marilyn; second wife, Irene; daughter, Susan Thompson; sons-in-law, John Strouse and Mike Kuhlman; grandchildren, Ruthie Stevens and Benjamin Stevens; great granddaughter, Kaci Ronai; as well as siblings, James Daugherty and Lois (Walter) Doughty.

Calling hours will be held at Given-Dawson-Paisley Funeral Home from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 30, 2026, and one hour prior to the funeral service. The funeral service will be held at the Keene United Methodist Church at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, with Pastor Paula Marbury officiating. Burial will be immediately following at South Lawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Keene United Methodist Church Memorial Fund with designation to the Keene Playground.

An online memorial can be viewed at www.given-dawson-paisleyfh.com.