Craig, Shirley M. (Beatty) 1917-2004

CRAIG, BEATTY, MECHEM, MATHIAS, STRAIT, JOHNSTON

Posted By: Debbie Nash (email)
Date: 11/24/2004 at 22:49:56

Shirley M. Craig
November 24, 2004

Shirley M. Craig, 87, of Warrensburg, Ill., and formerly of Keosauqua, died at 7:07 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22, 2004, at the home of her son in Warrensburg.

The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday in the new Pedrick Funeral Home on Highway 1 north of Keosauqua, with the Rev. Bryon Wixom officiating. Cremation will follow the service. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery in Cantril.

Open visitation will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with family present from 6-8 p.m.

Memorials to Cantril United Methodist Church, Keosauqua United Methodist Church or Keosauqua Senior Center can be left at the funeral home or mailed to the family at 10385 N. Kenney Road, Warrensburg, IL 62573.

Mrs. Craig was born Sept. 11, 1917, near Keosauqua, the daughter of Linn and Nellie Mechem Beatty. She married John E. Craig April 15, 1939, in the Little Brown Church in Nashua.

She lived her life in Van Buren County until moving to her son's home in Warrensburg in 2002. After graduating from Keosauqua High School and attending Parsons College, she taught in rural Van Buren County schools. She was employed as a nurse's aide at Van Buren County Hospital. A farm homemaker, she and her husband also operated Dairy Freeze in Cantril and Craig's Home Improvement Center in Keosauqua.

Mrs. Craig was a member of Cantril United Methodist Church and attended United Methodist churches in Keosauqua and Warrensburg.

She was active locally in the Iowa State University Extension program and had served on the state Extension Advisory Committee. She was past president of Van Buren County Farm Bureau Women. She also was active in Keosauqua Senior Center.

She enjoyed singing and playing piano and organ.

Survivors include one son, Bob Mathias and wife Joyce of Warrensburg; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one sister, Eleanor Strait of Keosauqua.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her husband; two sisters, Charlene Marie Beatty and Winona Johnston; and one brother, Harlynn Beatty.

Courtesy of the Fairfield Daily Ledger Inc. 2004