William Craig

GRAVESIDE SERVICE: 10:00 A.M. Monday, June 18, 2012, at Desdemona Cemetery in Comanche County. VISITATION: Family will receive friends at Comanche Funeral Home on Sunday afternoon from 4:00 P.M. until 6:00 P.M. LUNCH: Lunch for the family will be at the Desdemona School Building following the funeral service. William “Bill” Craig, Jr., age 87, passed away on Thursday, June 14, 2012, in Comanche, Texas. He was born on October 26, 1924, in Desdemona, Texas, the second child of William S. and Ruth (Wilhite) Craig. Bill attended school in Desdemona. He served two tours of duty in the United States Army during, and shortly after, World War II. His first tour began on February 26, 1943, with basic training at Camp Barkley in Abilene, Texas. He then trained with the 25th Hospital Unit in Louisville, Kentucky. From there he spent time in England, Belgium and Germany, before going to France where he helped set up a tent hospital. In Belgium he was assigned to the 67th Evacuation Hospital. He was later sent back to the United States where he was discharged on January 9, 1946, at Camp Fanning in Tyler, Texas. Bill re-enlisted on May 14, 1949, in Abilene and served at Camp Chaffee, Arkansas, Hamilton Field, California, then spent two years in Anchorage, Alaska before being sent to the Letterman Hospital in San Francisco, California. He was discharged on November 6, 1952. During this time he was united in marriage to Ruby Sutton on July 1, 1951, in Gustine, Texas. Bill and Ruby have been living Comanche for the past forty-three years, during which time he farmed, worked in construction and for many years was employed by Clemons Motor Company. He is survived by his wife, Ruby Craig of Comanche; daughter and son-in-law, Sandy and Mike Stepken of Stephenville; son, Rodger Craig; seven grandchildren: Clint, Shyla, Jeremy, Macy, Blayne, Dylan, and Jamie; eight great-grandchildren: Kymberlee, Trenton, William, Tristan, Jace, Toby, T.J., and Tyler; brothers, Jim Craig of Houston and Doug Craig of Desdemona; sisters, Geraldine Zummer of Carbon, Maxine Lawless of De Leon, Helen Johnson of Denver, Colorado, Mary Garza of Houston, Doris Whitley of Granbury and Vera Love of Horseshoe Bay. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant son, daughter, Brenda Reed, and brothers, J. T. Craig and Jack Craig.