Allen Joseph Craddock

Allen Joseph Craddock, 91, of Jacksonville, passed away Saturday morning, Dec. 1, 2012, at St. John's Hospital in Springfield.

He was born July 26, 1921, in Jacksonville, the son of William and Margaret Dyer Craddock. He married Lorraine Allan on April 14, 1940, in Bowling Green, Mo, and she survives.

He is also survived by one son, Gary Joseph (wife, Eva Maria) Craddock of Mineral, Va.; one daughter, Carol (husband, Willy) Tranbarger of Jacksonville; nine grandchildren, Melissa Jacks of Austin, Texas, Tim Pahel of Monmouth, Gary Craddock Jr. of Woodbridge, Va., John (wife, Mary) Craddock of Stafford, Va., Richard Craddock of Fredericksburg, Va., Fred Tranbarger of Jacksonville, Kim (husband, Steve) Cowan of Houston, Jeff Tranbarger of Jacksonville and Scott Tranbarger of Springfield; 15 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Virginia Craddock Pahel; and two brothers, Bill Craddock (surviving wife, Emily of Jacksonville) and one in infancy.

Mr. Craddock served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was a tank mechanic and a guard at Nuremberg. He worked as a mechanic at DeWitt Motors in Jacksonville. He owned and operated his own garage for a number of years and later owned a backhoe and trenching service until his retirement. He was one of the first backhoe owner-operators in Morgan County. He was a member of the Church of Our Saviour, the Moose Lodge and an honorary member of the Jacksonville Sportsman's Club. Later in life he earned a pilot's license and enjoyed flying at every opportunity he had.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Church of Our Saviour, with burial at Calvary Cemetery. The family will meet friends from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Williamson Funeral Home, with a prayer service to be conducted at 4:45 p.m. Memorials are suggested to the Church of Our Saviour or the Salvation Army. Condolences may be left online at www.airsman-hires.com.