Evelyn Odelia (Graves) Crawford

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Mrs. Evelyn Odelia Crawford, daughter of the late George H. Graves and Martha J. Blackwell was born on November 2, 1941, in Reidsville, North Carolina. Our loving Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt, Sister, and Friend passed into eternal rest at The Oaks Nursing Facility in Winston Salem, North Carolina on June 10, 2024.  In addition to her parents, her late husband, Clarence E. Crawford sister, Anita Graves preceded her in death.

Evelyn, despite becoming a devout Catholic grew up attending Rocky Ridge Baptist Church & New Ephesus Baptist Church in Reidsville. As a child, she attended Roosevelt Elementary School, in Rockingham County North Carolina.

At a very young age, Evelyn and her sister moved to New York City to live with their mother. She met her husband Mr. Clarence E. Crawford and married in 1962, and legally adopted her son, Ricky D. Crawford.  The family moved to Saddlebrook, New Jersey in 1972, and welcomed their daughter Tina E. Crawford in November 1973. In 1979 the family moved to Detroit, Michigan where she began working for 1 st Federal of Michigan Bank as a Loan Officer in their mortgage department.

In 1980, when Tina turned five the family moved to the East Side of Detroit where she attended Assumption Grotto Catholic Church until her departure in 1995. At this time, she also worked a second job at Kohl’s in their Customer Service Department from 1991-1995.

In June 1995 when her daughter graduated from college, Evelyn decided to move back to Greensboro, North Carolina after job layoff at the bank and to be closer to relatives. Upon returning to Greensboro, she worked for American Express, Kohl’s, Bank of America, and Home-Instead.  Evelyn was a devout Catholic and loved going to mass. She loved her family, especially her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved nature, animals, anything serene, beautiful, and majestic. She loved everything & everyone, but most of all she loved God.

She began her journey with dementia in 2019, and in 2022 was moved into Brookdale Memory Care in High Point, NC. Upon leaving Brookdale, she lived with her daughter briefly until April 2024, before being admitted into High Point Regional Hospital, and ultimately into skilled care at The Oaks Nursing Facility in Winston Salem, NC, where she passed on June 10, 2024.

 The bonds of family by which she was identified in life and of whom she will be fondly remembered in the hereafter include: her son, Ricky D. Crawford of Eden, NC; her daughter, Tina E. Crawford of High Point, NC; granddaughter, Angela T. Crawford of Eden, NC and Courtland B. Crawford of High Point, NC; three grandsons, Ricky D. Crawford Jr., of Eden, NC; Timothy J. Crawford (TJ) of Tampa, FL. and Darryl A. Smith, Jr. (DJ) of Winston Salem, NC; her sister, Virgina Graves-Williams (Thomas) of Ruffin, NC; brother, Larry (Cathleen) Blackwell of Reidsville, NC, sister-in-law, Louvenia Crawford of Reidsville, NC; nieces, Freda Haith of Reidsville, NC and Lisa Crawford of Montclair, NJ; nephews: Michael Crawford of Greensboro, NC, Landon Crawford of Blackstone, VA and Keith Crawford of Waldorf, MD; twenty great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Friday, June 21, 2024 at Immaculate Heart of Mary, 4145 Johnson St., High Point, North Carolina.  The family will receive visitors and friends from 10:30 at 11:00 am and the Mass will start at 11:00 am.  The burial will take place at Rocky Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery at 2 pm.

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