Howard William Crawford, 86, rural Beaver Creek, died Monday, Dec. 30, 2002, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.
Services were Friday, Jan. 3, at First Presbyterian Church in Beaver Creek. The Rev. Connie Stone officiated. Burial was in Beaver Creek Cemetery.
Howard Crawford was born to James Seth and Bessie (Schenck) Crawford on Dec. 18, 1916, in Beaver Creek. He was a lifelong resident of Beaver Creek. He graduated from Beaver Creek High School in 1934.
He married Carolyn L. Vander Schaaf on Aug. 29, 1945, at First Presbyterian Church in Beaver Creek. They lived on a farm outside of Beaver Creek where he spent his life building a successful farming and cattle operation. He had been a resident of Tuff Memorial Home in Hills for the past three years.
Mr. Crawford was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church of Beaver Creek where he served as an elder, a Sunday School teacher and a member of the building committee. He was also a member of the Masonic Ben Franklin Lodge in Luverne, the El Raid Shrine of Sioux Falls, a 23-year member of the Beaver Creek and Hills-Beaver Creek School Boards, the Beaver Creek Co-op Elevator, Beaver Creek Co-op Lumber Yard, the Farm Bureau, Rock County Cattlemen’s Association, a 4-H leader and he was a member of the Republican Party. He enjoyed farming, fishing, framing pictures and playing cards.
Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Crawford, Hills; two sons, Roland Seth (Lynn) Crawford and Clair Howard (Mary) Crawford, both of Beaver Creek; two daughters, Dr. Nelma Beth (James) Shearer, Tempe, Ariz., and Jill Carolyn (Daniel) Hewitt, Austin; 12 grandchildren, Tamara (Terry) Van Wyhe, Anne (Craig) Stegenga, Seth Crawford, Grant Crawford, Christopher Shearer, Sarah Shearer, Erin Crawford, Isaac Crawford, Lance Crawford, Joseph Hewitt, Carolyn Hewitt and Danielle Hewitt; six great-grandchildren, Christopher, Alexander and Emelia Van Wyhe, Jordan, Madeline and William Stegenga; four brothers, Harold (Eleanor) Crawford, Green Valley, Ariz., James (Gladys) Crawford, Mountain Lake, John (June) Crawford, Pipestone, and Francis (JoAnn) Crawford, St. Cloud; and his special friends, Vic and Fran Sandager and family.
Mr. Crawford was preceded in death by his parents.
Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.