Martha Crawford

Crawford, Martha J.

CRAWFORD, Martha Jane, age 85, of Maumee, formerly of Dayton, passed away Tuesday, September 12, 2023. She was born March 20, 1938 in Meeker, Ohio, the second child of Virgil and Grace Matthews (née Karcher). The family moved to Nevada, Ohio, where Martha grew up with her older sister, Marjorie. Martha graduated from Nevada High School in 1956. Determined to earn a college degree, she enrolled full-time at Bowling Green State University. Needing teachers, Ohio granted her a teaching certificate after two years, conditioned on her continuing school and earning a degree. That she did, attending BGSU in the summer while teaching during the school year. She graduated from BGSU on August 22, 1964 with a degree in education and took a job teaching first grade at Homes Liberty School. She soon moved to the Dayton area, where she taught first grade at Brantwood Elementary School in what was Mad River Township, now Riverside. There she met and married William C. "Bill" Crawford, her husband of 45 years until his death in 2012. Martha and Bill had two sons, Ray and Gene, who gave them six grandchildren and three great grandchildren, all of them the pride of Martha's life. Martha is survived by her sons & daughters-in-law, Ray & Dionne Crawford of Chicago, IL, and Gene & Sarah Crawford of Perrysburg, OH; grandchildren, Chase, Hannah, Leo, Elizabeth, Cash and Noa; great-grandchildren, Cambrie, Carter and Cobi; and many other relatives & friends. Funeral service 1:30 PM Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at Marker & Heller Funeral Home, Huber Heights Chapel, 5844 Old Troy Pike. Interment Royal Oak Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5-7 PM at the funeral home. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio in Martha's memory.