Craig, Vivian Gail 1923-2005

CRAIG, HOFFMAN, JUDY, VAN WECHEL, DEVINE

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 2/17/2010 at 17:05:47

The Grinnell Herald-Register (Grinnell, Iowa) July 11, 2005

VIVIAN G. CRAIG

Vivian Gail (Judy) Craig died Thursday, July 7, 2005, at her home in Grinnell.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 12, at the United Methodist Church in Grinnell, followed by interment at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.

She was born May 7, 1923, in Blockton, Iowa, to Cecil D. and Vera Gail Hoffman Judy. The family moved to Grinnell in 1926, where her father worked at the Spaulding Washing Machine Co. She attended Parker Elementary School and graduated from Grinnell High School in the mid-term class of 1941. As a youth, she had been active in Campfire Girls and in the school's music program, earning state honors with her bassoon and becoming a member of GHS's first marching band. A music scholarship in her name is awarded annually to a GHS grad.

On Oct. 5, 1942, she married her childhood sweetheart, John Hill Craig. While he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, she worked at a defense plant near Des Moines. After the war the couple returned to Grinnell and raised their family. She owned and operated a knit shop in her home for many years. In 1968, the couple moved to Oakland Acres, where she worked in the pro shop at the golf course.

She moved to a duplex at Seeland Park in 2004.

In addition to her lifelong hobby of knitting, she remained active in Campfire Girls and was an avid reader, bridge player and crossword puzzler. She enoyed golf and was a stickler for the rules. She had friends of all ages and was comforted by the love of her family. She will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, keen sense of humor and smile.

She is survived by her sons, Jon, of Salem, Ore., and Tim of Littleton, Colo.; her daughters, Judy Van Wechel of Vancouver, Wash., and Martha Devine of Colorado Springs, Colo.; ten grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and an infant sister, Clyda Bell.

Memorial contributions may be directed to Stewart Library or to the Vivian G. Craig Scholarship Fund and sent in care of the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell.