Elda Crawford

When reflecting on the life of Elda Crawford, the thread that is woven throughout her tapestry of time is her spirit of independence. Whether it was a bus trip around the country or her determination to walk without assistance during the sunset of her life, her strength combined with her will were constant companions. Elda was willing to work hard in whatever she did, although it was her family that always held the most prominent place in her heart. Life was not without trying times for Elda, but she continued to hold on to her faith when the storms of life blew her way. A kind and tender-hearted woman, Elda was a delight to know. The year 1917 is often remembered as the year that America officially entered WWI, but it was also the year in which the fight against racial discrimination continued to heat up, the first United States Congresswoman took her seat, and John F. Kennedy was born. This was a significant year in the family of Victor and Teresa Rossetto for a much different reason as they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Elda Lena, on December 3rd. Elda was born and raised in Weed, California, located in the northern region of the state. She was the second of five girls in her family including her older sister Elsie and younger sisters Eda, Amy, and June. Eldas parents were both Italian immigrants so the family spoke both English and Italian at home. Her father worked in the lumber industry before starting a family grocery store where Elda and her sisters regularly helped out. She graduated from Weed High School in 1936 and then went on to the University of California at Berkley. In fact, her parents put all of their girls through college, which was nearly unheard of during that generation. After graduating from college with her teaching degree, Elda taught Spanish for one year, but then decided that teaching was not a good fit for her. She then worked as a secretary for an import-export company in San Francisco and also worked as a translator for them at times. It was also as a young woman that Elda and a girlfriend planned a bus tour around the United States. Although her girlfriend backed out, Elda took advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity and went on her own. Life was forever changed for Elda when she met the man with whom she would share almost 60 years. His name was James Crawford and they met at a USO dance in San Francisco. He was in the Navy and was stationed there, allowing a romance to blossom between the two. After falling in love, Elda and Jim were married on December 29, 1946. When Jims duty to his country was fulfilled, the young couple moved to his hometown of Muskegon, Michigan. Elda found work at Clarke Floor Machine Company but after their son James Jr. was born in 1948, she left the workplace to stay home and care for her son. Not long after, Jims job took their family of three to Indiana where their daughter Vicki was born in 1951 and with the birth of their daughter Susan in 1956, their family was complete. In the early sixties, they were able to return to Muskegon where they settled into a house on Chippewa Drive in Norton Shores. The family attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, and they enjoyed taking vacations together, too. Every summer they took a camping trip to Lake Charlevoix where they stayed in a nine by twelve tent. They usually brought their sailboat with them to enjoy. There were also family trips to California to visit Eldas family and when their children were grown, they took a memorable trip to Hawaii in celebration of Elda and Jims 30th wedding anniversary. Over the years, Elda pursued her interests whenever she had the time. She was a crafty person who was very gifted with intricate projects. Elda liked to knit and crochet, and she also completed countless cross stitch projects as well. She was very detail oriented and when her girls were little, she made them many Barbie doll clothes. Elda was an avid reader who enjoyed learning new things by reading books about religion and history, yet she did like a good fiction book sometimes, too. Later in life, Elda experienced both peaks and valleys. She was deeply saddened with the death of their son in 1983. Elda continued on with life, however, drawing strength from both her family and her faith during the days following his death. In the late nineties, her husband suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. They then moved into assisted living at the Village At the Oaks where Elda had the assistance she needed to care for Jim. She busied herself with many of the activities they had there such as bingo and a variety of crafts just to name a few. After the death of her husband, Elda remained living there while continuing to enjoy good health and maintaining an active lifestyle. She savored the regular visits from her daughters and the way she kept in close contact with her girls. Elda even received support from other nieces and nephews who were in the area as well. Eventually, the years took their toll on Eldas body and she started to slow down some, but she often refused to use her walker as her spirit of independence remained intact. With her fun-loving spirit and big heart, Elda Crawford brought light and life to the world around her. She was a devoted mother whose children were her greatest source of pride and joy. Elda lived an active lifestyle throughout most of her life, drinking in the best of what life had to offer. She was a dear woman who will be deeply missed and fondly remembered. Elda L. Crawford died Wednesday, July 14, 2010. Eldas family includes her daughters, Vicki Crawford of Bozeman, MT & Susan Crawford of Ann Arbor, MI; sisters, Elsie Gallo of CA, Amy Brendal of CA; several nieces & nephew. Elda was preceded in death by her husband, James in 2004 and son, James Jr. in 1983. Per the familys request, no services will be held. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.