Curtis Crawford

Curtis C. Crawford was born on January 17, 1932, in Newton, Kansas, the son of Curtis Chester and Elsie (Burchinal) Crawford, Sr. He left this life to live an eternal life on December 11, 2018, at the age of 86 years. Curtis, known as Junior to many family and friends, lived his grade school years in Lubbock, TX, and graduated high school in Conway Springs, KS, in 1950. He joined the Air Force at the height of the Korean War, but didn’t learn to fly until he was 42 years old!

He married the love of his life, Phyllis Spargur, on May 24, 1952.  To this union four children were born. His career spanned 16 years of civil service, two years with Manhattan Christian College and 32 years in industry in Belleville, KS. Curtis served on the board of the Industrial Fabrication Association, the board at Manhattan Christian College, and was a lay preacher to many of the area churches. He was also an Elder, Deacon and Sunday School teacher at many of the churches he belonged to over the years. He was a member of the Central Christian Church in Belleville at his passing.

Curtis had a love of words, and took pen to paper to write his many poems. Sometimes that paper was a paper sack or a napkin! Many of the family, especially his wife, got a poem from him written this way. He even wrote a book and had it published.

Curtis was a memory maker. His car and journeys always preferred to head west to the mountains, but tell him to map out a destination and it turned into a memorable vacation. From Boston to South Dakota, Colorado to Florida, coast to coast, in a van, train, plane or houseboat, the adventures were made even better by his itinerary! There was no time for sleeping!

Curtis loved God with all his heart, soul and mind. He was a reflection of that love through his character of joy and peace in all things. You could also find no greater love for family. His family was loved unconditionally. No better time was spent than with his grands. Sunday dinners together and afternoon drives to Lovewell Lake to find the eagles were the highlight of his week. He was the epitome of a life well lived, a good and faithful servant, a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and uncle. Curt’s faith in God didn’t require effort, it required surrender, as he penned. “Surrender is hard not because it is something we must do, because you can’t surrender more, you can only surrender completely!” Faith is an attitude, an understanding that things will work out as they should under God’s plan.  Faith in God sustained him throughout his life and his long fight with cancer.

Curtis will be forever remembered by his wife, Phyllis Crawford, daughters Pam Chatfield (Brad), Jana Blad (Ronnie) and Julie Weatherhead (Curt). Ten grandchildren: Matthew Blad (Lisa), Sam Blad (Christy), Sarah Racine (John), John Ketchum (Ellen), Katie Ketchum, Alexis Wheat (Kevin), Cesilee Copple (Logan), Sophia Hardwick (Brian), Samantha Jensen (Tyler), and J.C. Crawford (Naomi), twenty great grandchildren, and five great great grandchildren, and by brother Johnnie Crawford and his family. He was preceded in death by his son, John Curtis, and his grandson, Jacob Weatherhead.

Friends may sign the register book at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home on Friday, December 14th, 2018, where the family will greet friends from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. A Celebration of his life will held Saturday, December 15, 2018, at 1:00 pm, at the Central Christian Church, Belleville, Kansas. Inurnment will follow the service in the Belleville City Cemetery with Military Rites conducted by the Air Force Honor Guard, McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to Meadowlark Hospice of Clay Center, KS, or the Central Christian Church in Belleville, KS.  Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, Belleville, Kansas was in charge of these arrangements.