Mrs. Helen Ruth Whiddon Craft

Funeral services for Mrs. Helen Craft, 91 of Gary, will be held on Monday, July 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Hawthorn Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Dale Walker and Rev. Phillip Baker officiating. Interment will follow in Gary Cemetery under the direction of Hawthorn Funeral Home. A time of visitation will be held on Sunday afternoon from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Helen Ruth Whiddon Craft, age 91, passed away on July 26, 2024, at Garrison Nursing Home. She was born January 16, 1933, in Logan, Texas. Her parents were Ellie Monroe Whiddon and Syble Adams Whiddon. She was raised in the Logansport area and graduated from Logansport High School. She attended business school in Baton Rouge. After graduating she moved to Houston in 1952 where she went to work for a law firm. During her time there she met the love of her life on a blind date and married him 2 weeks later on December 13th. This year would have been 72 wonderful years together. She was a military wife that loved people and made many friends everywhere they were stationed...some would say she was like a sister or even a mom to them. When Walter retired from the Air Force, she went to work at the Gary School cafeteria where she enjoyed cooking and she loved the children like her own. She retired after working for over 20 years. Helen was a member of Eastside Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school and was involved with ladies auxiliary. She was also a member of Eastern Star Order OES Chapter 747. The BEST wife, mom, grandma, sister and friend would be a great way to describe her...she loved everyone. Her favorite hobbies were cooking with the grandkids, sewing, quilting, shelling peas and cracking pecans just to name a few.
Mrs. Craft is survived by her loving husband Walter M. Craft; son, Marty Craft and wife Marla; daughters, Yvonne Murray and husband Gerald, Phyllis Ritter and husband Michael, and Angelia Odom; grandchildren, Holly Baker and husband Phillip, Claire Craft Hiatt and husband Jake, Matt Ritter and wife Cayla, Caroline Craft Brandon and husband Eric, Chelsea Ritter Murphy and husband Matt, Brittany Odom, Landon Odom, Aaron Murray, Brooke Murray Smyre and husband Johnathan; great grandchildren, Colby Baker and wife Haley, Hailey Baker Tanner and husband Dalton, Trinity Baker and fiancé Jacob Carroll, Zoë and Sloane Hiatt, Parker Ritter, Cecilia Brandon, Gatlin and Griffin Murphy, Taylor Starr Murray, Tanner, Tatum and Tillie Smyre; great-great grandchildren, Azalea, Sawyer and Sybil Tanner. Precious sisters, Linda Vickery and Brenda Sears and husband Robert; sisters- in-law, Yvonne Whiddon, Ann Bowling and husband Billy, and Elsie Craft.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Kenneth Whiddon, Royce (Man) Whiddon, sister Doris Swanzy; brothers-in-law, Sonny Swanzy, David Vickery, Tom Craft, Cecil Craft, Roy Sibert, Bruce James and Junior Wilson; sisters-in-law, Retha Whiddon, Callie Sibert, Marietta Wilson and Louise James; great-great grandson, Ryder Tanner and great granddaughter Gentry Murphy.
Memorials in her name can be made to Eastside Baptist Church, 1996 FM 999, Gary, Texas 75643.