CROWDER, Merrill

Notes:

Merrill C. Crowder

Oct. 22, 1919 - May 24, 2005

FRANKTON ? Merrill Clayton Crowder, 85, Frankton, died May 24, 2005, at St. Vincent Mercy Hospital, in Elwood.

He was born Oct. 22, 1919, in Anderson, Mo., the youngest of four children, both to John Kelly Crowder and Rena Eppard Crowder. His parents died shortly thereafter in the flu epidemic, as well as one of his brothers, and left him and his older brother and sister orphaned. They were taken in by his mother?s brother, Ossie Eppard and his wife Ida, and raised as their own. He married his childhood sweetheart, Polly Testerman, on Oct. 12, 1940. She preceded him in death on July 29, 1997. They had one son, Lawrence Kelly Crowder.

Clayton served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and moved to Anderson near the close of the war. He was always talented with his hands, whether he was whittling or building houses, including the log cabin just outside of Frankton where he lived at the time of his death.

In 1965 he went to work at Guide as a journeyman carpenter where he worked until his retirement 20 years later. He was associated with the Masonic Lodge and was the master of the Lapel Lodge in 1967. He was fun loving and always playing pranks and practical jokes on his friends. He was especially fond of making puzzles, rocking horses and all sorts of wooden toys for children. He was a devoted father, a grandfather of five, great-grandfather of 19 and great-great-grandfather of two.

He is survived by his son, Lawrence Crowder and daughter-in-law, Norma Turner Crowder of Frankton; a niece,

Catherine Stalker Gillespie; his grandchildren, Michael Kelly Crowder and wife Julie Closser Crowder of Park City, Utah, Todd Merrill Crowder and wife Becky Closser Crowder of Carmel, Linda Beth Chamberlain of Indianapolis, Shannon Turner Crowder of Minneapolis, Minn., and Libby Crowder Anderson and husband David S. Anderson of Frankton; all of his great-grandchildren; and countless friends.

Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday at Harper & Dunnichay Funeral Home with his grandsons officiating. Burial will take place at a later date.

Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Merrill married TESTERMAN, Paulyne 12 Oct 1940. Paulyne was born Abt 1910; died 29 Jul 1997, Madison County, Indiana. [Group Sheet]

1. Living