John Leslie Crawford, 91, Luverne, formerly of Beaver Creek, died Saturday, April 16, 2016, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.
A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, April 21, at the First Presbyterian Church in Beaver Creek. Burial will follow in the Beaver Creek Cemetery.
John Crawford was born Aug. 5, 1924, to James and Bessie (Schenck) Crawford in Beaver Creek. He was raised on the family farm west of town. Following graduation from Beaver Creek High School in 1942, he attended Macalester College in St. Paul and later the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. During this time he took some time off from college to return home and help with the family farming operation. In 1955 John graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in pharmacy. He then moved to Worthington and first worked at Ahll Drug before later working at Rexall Drug.
On Jan. 30, 1960, John married June Hedger in Tracy. The couple lived in Worthington until 1970, when the family moved to Pipestone and purchased the Luksik Rexall Drug Store. John operated the store and eventually opened a pharmacy and variety store in Jasper. With the help of his wife, June, he later opened The Thoughtfulness Gift Shop in Pipestone and another pharmacy in Brandon, South Dakota. In addition to all of these ventures, John farmed and was often found working in the fields on nights and weekends. Following the death of June in October 2006, John closed the last remaining store which he operated and continued to just farm. Due to his health, John became a resident at the Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne in 2008.
John was a member of the Presbyterian Church. In his earlier years he enjoyed bowling, golfing and photography. Throughout his whole life, John enjoyed farming. He especially enjoyed walking beans and picking rocks.
John is survived by his three children, Jane (Glenn) Gurtcheff of Apple Valley, Brett Crawford of Maple Grove, and David Crawford of Beaver Creek; a brother, Fran “Whimp” (JoAnne) Crawford of St. Cloud; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, June; a son, Brian Crawford; his parents, James and Bessie Crawford; and three brothers, Harold, Howard and James Crawford.
Arrangements are by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com
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