Dorothy Craddock

A celebration of the life of Dorothy Craddock, 89, of Longview will be 2 p.m. Friday, April 16, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Jonathan Jehorek officiating. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at Rader Funeral Home, Longview. A private committal service in Memory Park Cemetery will precede the memorial service under direction of Rader. Mrs. Craddock died Tuesday, April 13, following a courageous fight with cancer. She was a member of a pioneer family that came to East Texas in 1833. Dorothy Jane Latimer was born Nov. 29, 1920, in the Red River County community of Madras and grew up in Clarksville. The daughter of William H. and Abbie Whiteman Latimer, she was a 1937 graduate of Clarksville High School. She went to work for the Lone Star Gas Co. office in Clarksville and graduated from Tyler Commercial College. She married Van Dorn Craddock Sr. of Bogata on Feb. 24, 1943. During his World War II service in the U.S. Army Air Corps, she worked as a clerk typist, giving civil service exams at Big Spring Army Air Field. The Craddocks moved to Gladewater in 1946 and to Longview in 1954. Mrs. Craddock was a longtime, active member of Longview's First Presbyterian Church and a volunteer for the Gregg County Historical Museum, where she was honored as "Volunteer of the Year" in 1997-98. She also enjoyed the friendships made through several bridge clubs over the years. Mrs. Craddock loved her Lord and Savior. Her quick wit and sense of humor will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by husband, Van Sr.; infant daughter, Elizabeth Ann; and sister, Dixie Taylor. Survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Van Jr. and Bettye Craddock of Longview; grandson, Chris Craddock of Longview; granddaughter and husband, Cathy and Matt Tenner of Allen; great-granddaughter, Abby Mae Tenner of Allen; nephew Col. Bill Taylor and wife Patricia of Fort Worth; niece Dr. Sue Taylor of Commerce; and great-nephew Lt. Will Taylor, serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq. The family thanks Dr. Sreeman Jampana and the staffs of Highland Pines Nursing Center, Longview Cancer Center and Good Shepherd Medical Center for their care during Mrs. Craddock's illness. Thank you, too, to our church families and friends for their prayers and love during this time. Memorials may be made to Longview's First Presbyterian Church, 301 N. Center St., Longview TX 75601; and the Gregg County Historical Museum, P.O. Box 3342, Longview TX 75606.

Dorothy Craddock

November 29, 1920 - April 13, 2010