Obituary of George W. Crawford, Pawnee County, KSGenWeb Digital Library

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THE TILLER AND TOILER, 10 October 1929

Obituary of GEORGE W. CRAWFORD

Death of Geo. W. Crawford
A Resident of Larned for More Than
30 Years and of This Section for 51 Years

George W. Crawford, a resident of Larned for more than thirty years, died at his home on West Fifth street last Thursday, as a result of cerebral hemorrhage. Mr. Crawford, who was one of the well known citizens of this community, had been a sufferer from diabetes for many years, but had been able to give some attention to business until recently. A week before his death he was able to be at his office. He faced a chronic illness with great courage and resignation. He was aged 75 years and seven months at the time of his death.
Mr. Crawford, who for more than thirty years had been a prominent and highly esteemed citizen of Larned, had been a resident of this section of Kansas for fifty-one years, and was in the best sense of the term a pioneer.
Mr. Crawford was born in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1854. In that county on January 21, 1877, Mr. Crawford was married to Mary E. Markle. A year later, in February, 1878, Mr. and Mrs. Crawford came to Kansas, traveling by rail to Larned. Mr. Crawford immediately filed on a claim in Edwards county, in Belpre township, three miles north of Belpre. There they remained for nearly twenty years, until 1897, when they moved to Larned. They began life in a sod house, (known as a half-soddy) on the farm, suffering the disappointments and the hardships which were the lot of the pioneers, before they became firmly established in their new life. As was the case with most pioneers, Mr. Crawford found that the farm did not yield sufficiently and consistently enough to meet his needs, and resorted to other means of livelihood from time to tome. For five years he was foremen on the sheep ranch of James Rider and during that period also engaged in the sheep business himself. Eventually Mr. Crawford began the sheep business on his own claim, and he continued it with reasonable success until the tariff was taken off of wool, which made the industry unprofitable. He sold the last of his flock of sheep at the low price of $1 per head. When Mr. Crawford abandoned the sheep business he became a mixed farmer, the half-soddy in the meantime being replaced by a frame house, and other improvements being added for the shelter of his stock and grain. For a time Mr. Crawford raised broom corn, in the planting of which he was one of the pioneers, and in which he was successful. Later he had charge of a cattle ranch for Reynolds & Coatsworth, of Kansas City.
While living on the farm Mr. Crawford embarked in the fire insurance business in a small way, and his success finally induced him to devote all his time to it. So he left the cattle ranch and came to Larned in 1897, and transferred the farm insurance agency here. Mr. Crawford was highly successful in the insurance business here, building up one of the largest agencies in this section and had associated with him his two sons, Arthur and Walter Crawford.
In the death of Mr. Crawford the community loses a sterling citizen, whose passing will be generally mourned. His efforts were ever turned to the promotion of the best in the educational, social and religious life of his community. He was an exemplary husband and father, and was a representative of the best type of business man and citizen, and his death leaves a vacancy difficult to fill.
Mr. Crawford leaves to mourn his death his widow and four children, two daughters and two sons: Mrs. Alice Haag, Mrs. Blanch Haag, Arthur G. Crawford and Walter M. Crawford, all of Larned. A daughter, Annie, born in Pennsylvania, died at Belpre at the age of two years. There are seven grandchildren.
Mr. Crawford was in belief a Spiritualist, in faith a Christian. He was affiliated with the I.O.O.F. and the Modern Woodmen of America.
Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the Vernon Funeral Home, with Rev. G. H. Cosper, of the Methodist church officiating and burial was in the Larned cemetery.

Transcribed and Contributed by Richard Schwartzkopf

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