A long-time resident of Wooster, Ohio, Reed Hostetler, died on Wednesday in a farming accident.
Reed Hostetler was a high school football player for Smithville High School in Smithville, Ohio.
Highlights
- Wooster, Ohio, resident Reed Hostetler played wingback and defensive back at Smithville High School as a senior in 2012.
- Reed Hostetler passed away on March 5, 2025, due to a farming accident.
- Hostetler tied the knot with Abby Hostetler in 2018. Abby was born to her father, Jeffrey, and her mother, Nancy Kauffman.
He played as a wingback (WB) and defensive back (DB) for the Smithville varsity football team, wearing jersey number 34.
One of the significant games in his career was on October 24, 2008, when Smithville faced Norwayne. Despite a tough matchup, Smithville fell short, losing 36-10.
Though the score was not in their favor, Reed played well, showcasing his sportsmanship.
During his sophomore season in 2009, he competed in a challenging conference, finishing with a 4-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play, which placed his team fourth in the standings.
That season, Smithville was ranked 39th in the state and 7,106th nationally.
Former Smithville Athlete Reed Hostetler Passed Away At The Age Of 31
Smithville football player and dairy farmer Reed Hostetler, who worked at Lowe and Young Inc., died in a farming accident on March 5, 2025, at the age of 31.
However, further details are yet to be revealed as the investigation continues. The tragic news has devastated the entire Wayne County agriculture community.
Doylestown, Ohio, resident Luke Trueman organized a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to help Reed’s family with funeral costs.
Around 598 people have already donated, and over $89,755 has been raised through the campaign.
Smithville High School graduate Tommy Nolt also shared the GoFundMe link on his official Facebook handle and wrote,
Life is so crazy, you spend 12 of your most vulnerable and embarrassing years with a group full of random people. Five days a week, 8 hours a day, for 12 years you see the same faces, and soon they aren’t random people, but they’re your friends, then you grow up, graduate, and hardly see any of them ever again. Then you hear of the passing of one of those classmates, and all those memories from those 12 years come back to you, and you wish that it wasn’t the case that you don’t see any of those classmates anymore. Reed and I were never super close, but I have so many memories from school that involve his laugh, and his huge smile, and I remember airsoft gun wars at his dads, and on the farm. Reed was a great classmate, and from what I hear, he became a great man as well and will be greatly missed. Rest in Peace, friend.
Tommy Nolt
Scanners of Wayne County also shared the GoFundMe link on their page and sent prayers to Reed’s family. They wrote,
Sharing for the Hostetler Family after this sudden loss. May we keep the Baer/Hostetler Family in our thoughts and prayers after this tragic farming accident.
Scanners of Wayne County
Cheyenne Argabrite, who studied nursing at Stark State College, also sent prayers to Reed’s family through her Facebook handle. She wrote,
I’m truly in disbelief. My heart hurts for the whole family especially Abby and the kids. Sending so much love and lots of prayers for the Hostetler’s.
Cheyenne Argabrite
Reed’s cousin, Madisyn Miller, thanked everyone who had sent prayers and their heartfelt condolences. He wrote,
Thank you all for your prayers yesterday. Unfortunately we did not receive the outcome we were praying for. Our cousin Reed (31) left behind a wife Abby and their 3 young children due to a farming accident. Please continue to pray for the Hostetler, Kaufmann,Baer & Miller families in this terrible and unexplainable loss. Thank you in advance.
Madisyn Miller
Reed will always be remembered for his contribution as a footballer at Smithville High School and as a dairy farmer. Rest in Paradise, Reed Hostetler.
Reed Hostetler Is Survived By His Wife, Abby, And Three Children
Reed Hostetler, born in 1993, was a former athlete and a young dairy farmer who married Abby Hostetler in 2018.
Abby is from Wooster, Ohio. She attended Smithville High School and graduated from Malone University in 2014.
Currently, she serves at the Wooster Community Hospital. Reed and Abby shared three children: Baer, Claire, and Axe Hostetler.
They have managed to keep their children away from social media.
Their married life ended after six years, after the tragic death of Reed Hostetler due to an accident.
Abby was born to her father, Jeffrey, and Nancy Kauffman. She was raised by her sisters, Jennifer, Melissa, Ellie, and Anna, and her brother, Isaac, who was married to Alison Dyer.
She shared a close bond with her grandfather, Charles Lee, and grandmother, Thelma. Sadly, Charles, who was born on October 13, 1928, died on June 23, 2016, at Wooster Community Hospital.
Funeral services were held on June 30, 2016, at Roberts Funeral Home-Sherwood Chapel, Wooster, with Dr. Carolyn Berry and Dr. David Oliver officiating.
Additional Information
- Reed’s cousin, Madisyn Miller, is from East Canton, Ohio, and serves as a Veterinary Assistant at West Main Veterinary Clinic. He has been dating Jeremiah Kandel since January 30, 2023.
- Abby’s sister, Jennifer Kline, owns and designs at Line of Hope Creative Solutions.
- Her brother, Isaac Kauffman, is a lead installer and service technician at WG Dairy Supply, Inc.
