Beth-Ann Crawford

Being 4 years younger than Beth and 5 younger than Toni I often "got" to go places and do things that maybe my parents would not approve. To keep me quiet Beth would punch me in the stomach and tell me not to tell Mom and Dad. Fearing more of the same I never said a thing.

All of Beth's friends were BEST friends. It was amazing to me to see how she kept in touch with all of you. She had her lunch group but many more friends were kept in her circle with emails and phone calls. She loved you all.

Beth and I only recently were becoming reacquainted with each other again ( thru that great invention, e-mail) after so many years since graduating together. Saw each other at class reunions and that was about it. I knew Beth all thru high school and even though we didn't run with the same crowd, being such a small class, we all knew each other pretty well. And I do remember that she was always laughing and had that great smile for everyone. When I told Beth I wanted to move back to AZ, she was already putting together a game plan to get me there. Everyone is so right in that she always thought of other people before herself.

 

Charlie, you are so lucky to have had such a partner in your life. Your boys had a great mom and everyone who knew her had a good, loyal friend. She is going to be so missed by everyone but there are a lot of wonderful memories that everyone is sharing.

I never knew a person who could go out and kill, field gut, drag back, process, cut, wrap, freeze and cook to perfection anything that walked, crawled, or swam.  Beth could.  She was a hunter, cook, and baker.  Everyone loved what came out of her kitchen.

Beth and I go back to Red Hill days.  Jim had built them a house just below the trailer park and I lived in one of the company houses on the second row.    Many times I was at their house playing with Beth, Toni, and little Jennie.  She moved to Oracle and we no longer really hung around.  We graduated from SMHS and lost touch over the years.  We’d see her at Dub and Barb’s at one party or another. 

One day after Brownie died, she asked me to go to lunch with several of the girls.  I soon became thrilled to be part of the Golden Girls or the lunch bunch or the old gals.  Just a nice mix of old school chums spending a little  time together.  We know how old we all are since we all graduated in 1961.  We had lunch every month except during the summer when most went on vacations.  I so looked forward to those lunches.   I had many good moments with Beth.  She just made you feel good.  She was genuinely concerned about her friends.  She rarely talked negatively about anyone.  With her it was always put on your happy face and family first.

I shall always miss her smile and her laugh.  She has not gotten bigger or better in my eyes since she has died.  What she was, was enough.  Beth was generous with her heart and her home.  She gave freely of her time for others.  Even as she was going through chemo, she still did for others.  She was for sure a good one to ride the river.

I so loved her laugh.  Beth was a really funny person who loved life.  She will be missed for as long as any of us are still alive.

This morning I thought of her as I smelled the air after our rain.  I thought of her as I watched the sunrise.  Until I die, something will remind me of her and I will smile with that memory.   I consider myself blessed to have been part of her circle.  My life was enriched when she let me into hers.  I shall always miss my Tall One.

"May the road rise up to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back. 
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and the rain fall softly on your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand."
An Irish Blessing

From Buddy:  Beth and I started first grade together so that's 61 years of a special and wonderful friendship.  She and her folks would visit my family on our U circle ranch as we were growing up.  I met Charlie when we were teenagers.  What a great couple they made.  I think Beth forgot my name sometimes because when I would screw up she'd say, "Opie, you're such a dumb shit".  I'm gonna miss that!

From Alice:  I met Beth and Charlie about 14 years ago after Buddy and I got married.  We would drive to Oracle to see them and they would come to Havasu to visit us.  Beth always came with food and it was her nature to make herself at home in my kitchen.  I love to cook also but it was easy to step aside and let her do what ever she wanted.  I will really miss the good laughs we would have sitting around the kitchen table. 

Charlie, you're a lucky man to have had so many years with such a super lady.

Buddy and Alice