Craig

Thomas Morton "Tom" Craig, 88, of Doc Walker Road, Parker in Perry Township, Clarion County, died at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at Clarview Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center, Sligo, after a brief illness.

Born in Clarion County, Sept. 27, 1919, he was a son of Matson Adam and Eva Buzard Craig.

He attended Conneration Elementary School and served with the Army Infantry in the Philippine Islands, namely Luzon, during World War II. He retired as a trackman from the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1980 after 38 years.

Mr. Craig was a member of the Moose of Clarion, the Parker American Legion Post and the NRA. He enjoyed hunting every year with his three sons.

He was an accomplished musician and played the violin, guitar and the mandolin in local bands such as the Stardusters and Just Plain Country.

He attended Mt Zion Baptist Church in Reedsburg.

On March 14, 1940, he married the former Garnet E. Gallagher. She survives along with three sons, Carl T. Craig and his wife, Gloria, and Nelson E. Craig and his wife, Karen, all of Shippenville, and Daniel R. Craig and his wife, Sylvia, of Sligo; three daughters, C. Diane Cratty and her husband, Larry, Donna F. Blauser and her husband, David, and Bonnie J. Elder and her husband, Alex, all of Parker; 19 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Mrs. Carrie Craig of Sligo.

As the last surviving member of his immediate family, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn Bowser and Dorothy Horner; two brothers, Clifford and Matson Craig; a half-sister, Della Hickey; a half-brother, George Craig; and a grandson, Ryan T. Craig, who died April 24, 2008.

<B>CRAIG </B>— Friends of Thomas Morton "Tom" Craig, who died Tuesday, June 24, 2008, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at <B>Richard D. Hillis Funeral Home</B>, Rimersburg. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Daniel Myers, pastor of Mt Joy United Methodist Charge, and the Rev. Mark Carpenter, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church of Emlenton, officiating. Burial will follow at Rimersburg Cemetery with full military honors accorded by members of the Rimersburg VFW and the American Legion ceremonial squad.