Crayne Moms

This wonderful old picture of these wonderful Crayne Moms was made about June 1940.
 I wish I knew what they had been doing on this day to all be together. 
Pictured sitting down on left is my Mom, Evah Lee Brantley Travis, with my brother Billie Ewell on her lap, he looks to be about 3 months old; next is Thelma Brown Cruce and second son, Donald "Donnie", next is Mildred Highfil, we think she may be holding Doris Binkley;
Standing up in back left is Juanita Brown Cruce with Richard Cruce (who is Thelma's 1st son) and on the right is Velda Ordway with Barbara Cruce, who is Juanita's daughter.

February Snow 2011

To document this wintry February 2011, this is a picture of my home in Crayne, made on Feb. 9, 2011 by an old friend, Gwen, as she was driving through Crayne on her way to Marion.  

Old memories of years gone by, as we spent many an hour playing in the snow, prompted her to make this snowy picture. 

Children's Day - 1895

Crayneville Sunday school met in Ordway Grove Sunday, June 23, and carried out the following programme:
(I wonder where Ordway Grove was located)

• Words of Welcome - B. F. Jacobs.
• Introductory Scripture Lesson - Rev.James F. Price
• Recitation - Lucy Ordway
• Recitation - Florence Tabor
• Music, by Rays of Light.
• Recitation by Myrtle Jacobs.
• Recitation by Maudie Davis
• Recitations and Music by primary Class with Rays of Light singing an echo.  Talk by  Amanda Jacobs.
• Recitation by Lee McCaslin.
• A greeting from our general Supt. of Sunday School work, - H. P. Jacobs.
• Intermission of about two hours which was highly enjoyed by all as they gathered around the bountiful supply of food spread before them.
• After recess the importance of Sunday School work was discussed by J. M. McCaslin, B. F. Jacobs and others.
• Children's Day, its object and aim by J. P. Jacobs, James F. Price , B. F. McMican, J. R. Cole. 
• Importance of primary teaching, P. H. Woods and others.

Crayne Cemetery Fish Fry June 4th 2010

The Crayne Annual Fish Fry was held June 4th, 2010.  We had a very successful afternoon and appreciate everyone that came and supported this annual event.  The proceeds all go towards the upkeep of our Crayne Cemetery.  It's always a pleasure to see old familiar Crayne citizens at this event.  Although many have passed away since the Fish Fry first started in June of 1999.

Some of the familiar faces to this years fish fry, and who do not live here now, but still call Crayne home are:  Helen Cruce and sister Mary Jean Cruce Fear, daughters of George and Christine Cruce. 

The gentleman on the left is Bob Fear, Mary Jean's husband, and Mary Jean is the one on the far right.
Helen is sitting at the end of the table.  I'm not sure who the young lady is beside Mary Jean.

Familiar local and old friends in this picture are:
Left: Harold Cannon and wife Carolyn Gilland Cannon and Carloyn's sister, Elaine Gilland Shinall.

Harold and Carolyn are childhood friends for the old Crayne days.  They are always ready with a big smile for everyone.

Some of the volunteer workers, that if not for them, we couldn't have the fish fry.  Here are some of the as they are getting the food prepared.

From left: Jim Estes, Emmett and Bernice (Sutton) Jennings and Bonnie Gass.

Emmett, Bernice and helper Bonnie Gass, are preparing their delicious hush puppies.  Emmett and Bernice have been regulars at this event since it first started.

This is new board member, Billy Joe Rushing, and the regular fish fryer of the event.

Everyone says it's the best fish ever and there is always plenty to eat.

We hope to continue the annual event in 2011 and hope to see everyone there.

Memorial Day

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Resting in the Crayne Cemetery are the remains of Ellis B. Ordway, World War I Veteran, and the first Crittenden County young man to give the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  He was a Crayne citizen and the son of William and Julia Ordway. 

He was in Co. A 16th Infantry.  His comrades spoke of him as a brave soldier.  He was sent to the front to Aragonne Forest, where he was wounded twice by a machine gun in the right let on the 17th day of July 1918 and he died July 26th, 1918 from his wounds. at the young age of 23.

Although he died in 1918, his remains weren't returned home to Crayne until April 1921.  His service was conducted in the presence of a large crowd of sympathetic friends at the Crayne Presbyterian Church.  The remains were wrapped in the American Flag, for which he fought and died.

He has a family tombstone.

Other veterans that have military markers are:  Raymond Fletcher, WWI; Burnie Rogers, WWI; Clarence Holloman, WWI; Roy Boisture, WWI; Denton Crider, WWI; Norvel Tabor, WWI; Jonas Rushing,WWI; Sgt. Frank Evans, Spanish American War, Phillipines, and WWI.

Henry Ewell Baird, WWII; Harlan Rushing, WWII; James Moss;, WWII; George Hubert Deboe, WWII, Edward Benedict, WWII.

James Woodall Homeplace

 

Although not right in the heart of Crayne, James and Melva Woodall and son Tracy were always a part of the Crayne Community, as were the other families that lived on the Crayne Cemetery Road .  

The children of the families that lived on the Crayne Cemetery road always attend the Crayne School, and some attended the Crayne Churches.  Their lives were always a part of the community and in the years past most everyone was kin to each other one way or the other.  So we were all like family.

The picture above is of James and Melba first home.  They lived here all the years that I was growing up.  The home always a familiar sight as you drove by.  The house has sat empty now for several years.  James and Melba are both deceased and buried in the Crayne Cemetery.  Son Tracy has sold the home place and farm, and today as I drove by on my way the the cemetery, I saw that the old home has been taken down.  It's just a bare spot were the house used to sit.   Things change, time goes on, but it's rather lonely now without the familiar old house on the hill.

(Picture made in May of 2009)

Myers Grocery

One of the grocery stores that Crayne used to have was the Myers Grocery.  It was owned and operated by Allie and Mary Emma (Dorroh) Myers.  The block building was built in 1960, on the location of the former Dorroh's Store.  The inventory consisted of groceries and some hardware.

This is a picture of the store in 1961.  In the picture are left to right: Henry Ordway, Allie Kirk and Mr. Allie Myers, owner of the store.

Later they sold the inventory to a Mr. and Mrs. Locket Nunn of Sturgis.  in 1964 Mr. and Mrs. Nunn moved the store inventory to old Kuttawa.

At right is a 1961 ad for their store from the Crittenden Press.  Look at those prices. 

The building was later used as an antique store for several different people.  It was opened as the Crayne Grocery some years back, but it didn't last long and now is empty again except for storage by the owners.  The people that owned the building  and tried to run a grocery store said the food trucks said they didn't buy enough to pay them to stop, so they had to close.