CRAWFORD, Therese H. (1931-2020)

CRAWFORD

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/4/2020 at 12:30:32

Therese Helene Crawford
(July 31, 1931 - March 2, 2020)

Therese Helene was born to Tom & June Lippold on July 31, 1931 and returned to the Lord on March 2, 2020. Funeral Mass for Therese “Tootie” Crawford, 88, will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, March 7, 2020, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with burial following in the Indianola I.O.O.F. Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Tootie dedicated her life to supporting her husband and raising nine children. She enjoyed having coffee with her friends, bowling, ceramics, water aerobics and most of all singing every chance she got or whenever someone would strike up a song. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, sister and best friend. To many she was a woman full of life, laughter, and lots of sass!
Mom found humor in everything she did and with everyone she knew. Although the light appears a bit dimmer today, we know her light will continue to shine through her family.
As hard as it has been to watch mom’s mind fade, her passing is a blessing. She has been released and is free from Alzheimer’s. She can now look upon us and guide us along our journeys until we meet again.
Although there will forever be a void in our hearts, we rejoice knowing she has been reunited with our sister Joyce and our father, Kenny.
As mom peacefully passed with all of her children by her side, we know she was sad and confused but elated to reach out to the host of family and friends who have passed before her. Most of all, she once again can speak clearly and her memories have returned.
When we moved mom to a memory care assisted living village many of your voices and concerns were heard. As a family we made the decision to provide mom with care that she was going to need for her journey with Alzheimer’s. We know now, watching her journey, that we made the best decision for her life. We hope and pray that they find a cure for this disease as it is difficult, at best, to watch your loved one move though this passage. We did what dad asked us to do, which was “keep your mother safe, loved, and happy”. We were mom’s memory and shared our life stories with her each time we visited or called. When sharing our stories, she would laugh or smile and often say, “I guess I don’t remember that”.
We will miss mom, but continue to hold our memories of her in our hearts. We are blessed as she leaves us with her unconditional love.
There is beauty in the world, we see it all around us every day. We see it in the blue skies and in the blossoming flowers every spring…but today, beauty will be a little more difficult to see because the light that has guided our lives for so many years has gone out. I know the light will return in our memories of a mother who has always been there for us, all nine of us. And believe me she earned her wings! We certainly gave her a run for her money! However, she quickly put us back in line and gave us guidelines for our morals, values, and implanted the seed to become successful in life, each in our own way. Most of all she inspired us in what a mother’s love is.
We would like to say thank you all, on behalf of our entire family for your love and kind words, thoughts, prayers, and well wishes. We simply cannot say thank you enough.
Tootie is survived by her children, Steve (Susan) Crawford, Janet Caputo, Dan (Denise) Reinert, Kevin (Julie) Crawford, Joan Oakes, Beth (Keith) Clark, Richard Crawford, Rhonda (Denny) Lemon, Thomas (RaeAnn) Crawford; 35 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; siblings, Mary Kahler, Margaret Spencer, Jerome (Kathie) Lippold, John (Gwen) Lippold, Sharon (Jim) Findley; sisters-in-law, Joan Lippold, Marjorie Henderson. She is preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth; daughter, Joyce Reinert; parents, Thomas “Tom” and Relta “June” Lippold; twin brother, Tim Lippold.
Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 6, 2020 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church where family will be present from 5:30 to 8 p.m. A rosary will be recited at 7:30 p.m. Memorials may be given in her name to St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Indianola or Alzheimer’s Association.
This memorial is provided by Overton Funeral Home, 501 West Ashland Ave., Indianola, Iowa, http://www.overtonfuneral.com/