Christie Crafton?s sister, Candy Meyer, provided this memorial tribute for our newsletter in 2004.
Mother of three, wife, kindergarten teacher, Sunday School teacher, small-business owner, wedding singer?Christie Crafton had it all! Not only did she have a life that was full and meaningful, Christie had the spirit of Christianity planted firmly in everything she did. I remember she used to have little snippets of Bible verses tucked everywhere in her home. Over the kitchen sink, taped on the bathroom mirror, magnetized to the front of the fridge, these little spiritual reminders gently spoke of Christie?s purpose in living?always guiding herself and her family to be the best they could be.
Christie?s spirit was so infectious! She had a pure joy of living that rubbed off on anyone at any time. She could dress up as a clown to surprise you at school (as she did on my 40th birthday!), then end up leading the whole cafeteria in a Happy Birthday song! Once she dressed up as a huge bumblebee and dressed Crisdale, her little daughter, as a baby bumblebee. They even had matching, bobbing antennae on their heads as they marched down the halls at New Washington High School to surprise the principal (Dale)! She was also constantly dressing up her two little boys, Trevor and Van, in funny costumes, or hats, or capes to help them pretend they were really Superman! Her eyes were always full of mischief, and her laugh was full of delight.
Christie had a beautiful singing voice that she professionally developed later in life unbeknownst to her family. Yes, she had always sung in the church choir growing up, but didn?t let her true talents be heard until much later. The first time she sang pubicly at Scottsburg was at the First Baptist Church, her old church, at Easter time. We did not know that she had been studying under a voice coach, so we were not prepared for the hushed response as she sang a song that Mary would have sung to her dying son, Jesus. There were not too many dry eyes in the sanctuary that day, nor anyone prouder than her family!
From the get-go, I believe Christie was a teacher. We were always playing school when we were growing up?and then once grown up, she always enjoyed working with small children. After a career change and a gentle push from her husband, Christie went back to college for her lifelong dream?to become a teacher. Christie started her teaching career in Charlestown, then later moved to Hanover, to teach kindergarten at Southwestern Elementary School for several years. There the ever-vibrant, dedicated-for-life teacher made an indelible mark on the lives of many young students. She continued teaching, spirit-filled, day after day right through chemotherapy, right through the grips of cancer, until the day when her principal and her sister talked her into going home for good to rest.
Christie Crawford Crafton?s memorial scholarship for the students of Scottsburg High School was started soon after she passed away at the age of 42. It carries the memories, the struggles, the dreams of becoming a dynamic teacher for other aspiring young educators. Christie would be thrilled to know that her legacy through the Scott County Community Foundation is to challenge and support high school seniors who dream of one day becoming a dynamic teacher, too.
The following story was featured on our Facebook page on March 20, 2020.
Christie Crawford grew up in a very caring family with two sisters, Candy (Meyer) and Margie (Stutsman). She was a cheerleader for the Scottsburg Warriors and became homecoming queen in high school. She lived the majority of her life in Scottsburg, working at the First National Bank in Scottsburg as a teller when it first opened. She went to Ball State University, where she received her bachelor?s degree and teaching certification. Christie married Dale Crafton, and they moved to Charlestown where she had her first teaching job at Charlestown Elementary. She also taught at Southwestern Elementary School, and was beloved by her students, family, and everyone who knew her. She was remembered as a very selfless person.
Christie also owned her own small business of homeopathic and herbal remedies, Herbs from the Son. She was a devoted Christian, hence the name of her business. She enjoyed reading daily devotionals, writing inspirational quotes and Bible verses on 3?5 cards, and putting them into people?s mailboxes before they went to work. She raised two sons, Trevor and Van, who confess to pushing her buttons frequently. ?But then her prayers were answered which was her baby girl, Crisdale,? shared Trevor.
?She was the best mom a little girl could ever ask for,? said Crisdale. ?She stayed at home with me until about a year before I went to kindergarten. Then she began teaching kindergarten at my school. Having my mom just a room over helped this little 6-year-old?s fears of being in a new place. She was ALWAYS there for us, a completely devoted mother.?
Christie touched the lives of many people. She continued teaching day after day right through chemotherapy, right through cancer.
?She thought her husband set the moon while loving unconditionally her small family that she created, until passing away of cervical cancer at age 42,? said Trevor. ?Her fight with cancer was quick but she did fight,? added Crisdale. ?I remember before she died she gave each one of us a gold angel necklace so we knew our guardian angel was near. I know Trevor has worn his without skipping a beat, every day. We sure were blessed with a devout Christian mother. I miss her every day, and my 2-year-old and I tell her how much we love her every night in our prayers! Our kids know and will know what a wonderful guardian angel they have in heaven with their Grandma Christie.?
After Christie passed away, her family created the Christie Crafton Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to graduates of Scottsburg High School who plan on pursuing a degree in education or a profession that serves children. Nineteen students have received assistance for college over the years, and Christie?s legacy continues to live on.
