Robert "Bob" Crawford (Seymour)'s Obituary
Robert Ray Crawford was born on December 4, 1934, in Seymour, Missouri, to Thomas Benton and Clara Beatrice (Asher) Crawford, and went to Heaven on December 20, 2020, in Glenwood Healthcare in Seymour at the wise age of 86.
Preceding him in death were his parents; his brother, Jackie Gene Crawford and his wife, June; two infant siblings; and a nephew, Tommie Gene Crawford. Surviving Bob are his wife, Metta Crawford of the home; four children, daughter, Sue Wiser (Dan), son, Charles Crawford (Julie), daughter, Barbara Garton (Alan), and son, Robert Crawford; six grandchildren, Justin Blankenship, Tracy Lawler, Jared Crawford, Lauren Conrad, Chris Garton, Emily Garton, and four great-grandchildren, Amelia Crawford, Arden Conrad, Cade Conrad, and Timothy Garton; a niece, Terri Crawford, and a host of family and friends. Bob graduated from Seymour High School in 1952, then attended Draughon’s Business College. He married his high school sweetheart, Metta Ellen Williams, on August 7, 1955. As Christians, they attended Antioch Baptist Church and were baptized together in a river near Antioch in October of 1961. Shortly after being married, they moved to Palmdale, California, were he worked delivering for a hatchery. Their next venture took the two of them with baby, Sue, to Wichita, Kansas, where he worked for the company, Frontier Chemical. While in Kansas, he received an opportunity to return to his hometown of Seymour to manage and operate a 500-acre dairy, the Bonnie Carrie Farm. Charlie, Barb, and Rob were all born and lived on the farm during their eleven years in Seymour. While at the Bonnie Carrie Farm, Bob was named Dairyman of the Month for the highest average milk production, not once, but twice while he was the manager. In 1971, Bob and Metta purchased a home and dairy business in Niangua where he and Metta and the four children worked together farming and milking for 21 years. After retiring from farming, Bob worked for the Department of Agriculture with the Gypsy Moth Project where he traveled all over Missouri inspecting traps for the government. Bob spent a few later years working for Copeland Corporation in Lebanon, Missouri, until his retirement. He served as a deacon at Antioch Baptist Church in Seymour and was a member and Sunday school teacher at High Prairie Baptist Church for many years.
Bob had a talent for working with wood, building bluebird houses, and he loved taking old rusty toy trucks and refinishing them to look new again. He loved fishing, quail hunting, and going to flea markets and auctions. His all-time favorite music was bluegrass, and he was known to do a jig now and then. He loved spending time with his grandkids and great-grandkids.
Bob was a loving husband, father and grandfather – a Godly man. We will miss his laughter, his sense of humor, even during trying times, and his friendliness to everyone he met.
In lieu of flowers, memorials in Bob's honor may be made to Missouri Baptist Children's Home in Mt. Vernon or Gideons International.
What’s your fondest memory of Robert?
What’s a lesson you learned from Robert?
Share a story where Robert's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Robert you’ll never forget.
How did Robert make you smile?
