Coni Crawford Ross

Coni Crawford Ross was born May 26, 1951 to David and Hazel Crawford, and was raised in Bulverde, Texas. She joined our Father in Heaven January 19, 2020.

Coni is survived by her husband, Dr. Charlie Price Ross, III; daughter Rebecca Hale and husband Ryan; daughter Amanda Hansen and husband Randall; daughter Rose Casagrande and husband Tomasi; grandchildren Rylee Belle and Charlie Ryan “C.R.” Hale, and baby boy Hale (due any day), Alexandria Anais and John Price Casagrande; mother Hazel Wheeler; sisters Pam Boerner and Lenida Bond; and brother David Crawford. She is preceded in death by her father, David Crawford.

Coni attended Brackenridge School of Nursing, graduating as a registered nurse in 1978 and working in the Brackenridge Hospital emergency room thereafter. When Charlie, a surgeon, met her, he asked whether she liked to fish, she said yes, and the rest is history. This match made in Heaven married on June 23, 1978. They enjoyed ranching and hunting in Blanco, Lockhart, and South Texas, but they settled in Oak Hill and brought three strong willed girls into the world, girls who became known as the “Cactus Girls” and enjoyed all that outdoor life offers. After raising the girls, Charlie and Coni moved to their ranch in Blanco in 2006.

Coni’s American and Texas roots ran deep. She took pride in two ancestors, who served in the Texas Revolution, and in Charlie’s ancestors, who served in the Battle of San Jacinto and received an 1836 land grant, an heirloom parcel in Lockhart, in honor of service to the Republic of Texas. Coni served as a member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and of the Daughters of the American Revolution for decades.

Coni loved animals from the time she was a little girl. Coni raised coon dogs, once kept a pet skunk, rode her horse regularly, and raised cattle. In 1978 she began raising angora goats, and then cashmere goats through embryos imported from New Zealand. She won multiple national and regional awards for her innovations in and contributions to the mohair, cashmere, and boer goat industries. She was a well-respected ABGA judge and a pioneer and a legend in the goat industry.

Her depth of health and medicinal knowledge rivaled that of most veterinarians and some doctors. Always willing to help people with their health and that of their animals, Coni took “911 Goat Calls” daily, many from perfect strangers. While Coni received countless awards over decades, she will be remembered for her giving spirit, her love for her children and grandchildren, and her compassion for people and animals. She was larger than life and a one-of-a-kind “Lady Rancher,” loved by family and friends around the world.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 23rd at 11:00 AM in Blanco, Texas at Crofts-Crow Funeral Home. The burial will be at Blanco Cemetery with a reception to follow at Carriage Hills Ranch.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, Texas.