01/12/2026
Valerie Jo Cryder, known simply and forever as Jo, and lovingly as Mom, Meme, Grandma, and Grams, leaves this world wrapped in the same things she lived by: loud love, fierce loyalty, and a presence that does not fade.
Born Valerie Jo Ferguson to Sidney and Geneva Ferguson, Jo carried her maiden name with pride and her married name with devotion. But “Mom” and “Meme” were the titles that truly defined her. If you knew her, you know those were not just names. They were experiences.
She was sweet. She was spunky. She was spicy. She had a huge personality and an even bigger presence. Jo did not simply enter rooms. She claimed them. And if she loved you, she loved you fiercely and without apology.
Jo is survived by the love of her life and the center of her world, her husband, Chris Cryder. Their love was big, consuming, and unmistakable. Chris’s world was Jo. He showed his love in constant, unwavering ways, making sure she was safe, comfortable, protected, and never without what she needed or wanted. He loved her out loud and without hesitation. What they shared was rare, visible to everyone around them, and the kind of love most people only hope to find once in a lifetime.
She leaves behind the people who were her greatest pride and her whole heart. Her children are Perry Huber; Neili Daniel and her husband Ron; Sidney Huber and his wife Kim; Heather Cryder; and Chrissy Anker and her husband Clayton. She also claimed Josh Wagner as her bonus son, along with his wife Rena Wagner. Johnny Riffle and his wife Brenda held a permanent and special place in her heart.
To her grandchildren, she was Meme, Grandma or Grams, and being her grandchild meant you were adored loudly and defended fiercely. Her grandchildren are Cassidy Huber; J.C. Huber and Morgan Cotes; Nathaniel Huber and Nykky Kirchgessner; Katrese Daniel; Kaitlyn Daniel; Bianka Wagner, who alongside her husband Anthony Colvin cared for Jo during her illness with unwavering compassion; Lexi Wagner, who is expecting Jo’s first great-grandchild; Chandler Wagner; Madison Anker; Lynn Anker, who is expecting Jo’s second great-grandchild; Aaron Anker; and Adriana Kennedy.
Jo shared an unbreakable bond with her sister Sharon Fender and carried the love and memory of her late sister Connie Ellison close to her heart. Her niece, Vickie Stumph, was one of her best friends, her safe place, her chosen sister in all the ways that mattered.
She was preceded in death by her sister Connie Ellison, her mother Geneva Ferguson, her father Sidney Ferguson, and her best friend in the world, Donna Revello.
Jo’s life was not measured by years, but by the way she loved, the way she showed up, the way she protected her people, and the way she made everyone around her feel like they belonged.
She gave loyalty without conditions, opinions without filters, and love without limits.
If you were loved by Jo Cryder, you were lucky. If you were raised by her, you were changed forever. And if you were loved by her as Chris Cryder was, you experienced a love most people only dream of.
She leaves behind stories that will be told forever, laughter that still echoes in kitchens and living rooms, and a family that will carry her fire, her softness, and her strength forward.
No services will be held at this time.
Personal condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.black-eppersonfuneralhomes.com
