Raymond Charles Crawford Sr., 85, of Orange Park, Fla, formerly of Glendive, died Thursday, June 14, 2007 at the Glendive Medical Center.
A memorial mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Glendive with Father Joseph Ponessa officiating. Rite of Committal with military honors will be in the Dawson County Cemetery in Glendive. Visitation will be Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the chapel of the Silvernale-Silha Funeral Home in Glendive. Raymond was born on Jan. 9, 1922 in Fairview, N.D., the son of Charles Albert and Lottie Mae (France) Crawford. He was raised and educated in Glendive. Ray entered the United States Army on Oct. 3, 1942 and served honorably during World War II where he was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart with an oak leaf cluster for gallantry in action. He was honorably discharged on Sept. 2, 1945. Ray married Mary Agnes Roque in September 1945. To this union, eight children were born: Eugene, Clel, Diana, Patty, Ray, Mike, Bruce and Broderick. They resided in Glendive until 1955 when they moved to Glasgow. Ray married Thelma Kemp on Jan. 21, 1966, in Havre. They resided in Havre until Thelma passed away in 2005 and Ray spent four months with his son, Mike until moving to Orange Park, Fla., to be with his daughter, Diana. Ray enjoyed fishing, hunting and playing cards especially Pitch. Ray was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 39 years, Thelma; sons, Eugene and Broderick; five sisters, Margaret, Blanche, Olivera, Carol, Virginia Reinholz; and three brothers, Leslie, Howard and Glen. Survivors include his children, Clel Crawford of Glasgow, Diana DaSilva of Orange Park, and Patty Becker and her husband Ken of Cochrane, Wis., Raymond Crawford Jr. And his wife Linda and Mike Crawford and his wife Rhonda, all of Great Falls, and Bruce Crawford of Missoula; stepchildren, Larry, Linda, Judy, Kenny, Duck and Bobby; daughter-in-law, Marilyn Crawford of Glendive; his sister, Opal Latka of Glendive; brothers, Joe Crawford of Wyoming and Al Crawford of California; numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
