Darlene Craig

DARLENE S. CRAIG

Center Point

Darlene Craig, 92, of Center Point, passed away Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, at Mercy Hallmar, Cedar Rapids, after an extended illness. Services: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point. Family will greet friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at the funeral home. Additional visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home. Burial: Center Point Cemetery at a later date.

Survivors include her children, Daphne (Harold) Miller of Fairfax and Steven (Jean) Craig of Plymouth, Minn.; grandchildren, Nathan (Joanne) Craig of San Francisco, Calif., Nicole (Alex) Charboneau of Minneapolis, Natalie Craig of New York City and Nicholas Craig of Plymouth, Minn.; sisters-in-law, Kathryn Craig of Hiawatha and JoAnne (Leo) Havran of Cedar Rapids; many nieces and nephews; and special friends, Tom and Nancy Krapfl of Center Point.

She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Melvin, Gilbert and Roy Squires; and her husband of 67 years, David.

Darlene was born Aug. 14, 1923, in rural Linn County, daughter of Milton and Elsie (Lanning) Squires. She grew up in the Greens Grove area south of Center Point, attending Mason No. 5 School through the eighth grade. Darlene attended high school in Center Point, graduating with the class of 1940. She married David Craig on June 30, 1946. David was in the Navy and they lived in Norfolk, Va., and Greenwich, R.I.

Dave and Darlene joined Craig's Service in 1954 at the Skelly Station and Welding Shop on Main Street in Center Point, operated by Dave's father, Edward Craig. They worked and owned Craig's Appliance and Service together for 51 years, selling it in 2005. Darlene retired at the age of 82 and became the caretaker for Dave with his dementia and macular degeneration.

While living in Center Point, Darlene was very active in the Center Point American Legion Auxiliary. In 1996, she received the Governor's Volunteer Award for the American Legion and Legion Auxiliary for promoting civic responsibility, respect for the flag and pride in our country. She took great pride in living and working in Center Point and was not afraid to make her opinion known about ways to make the town a better place to live. After moving to Ridgeview Assisted Living Center in 2014, Darlene made many friends and became reacquainted with a dear friend, Dorothy Plagmann. She enjoyed living there very much.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Mercy, Center Point American Legion Auxiliary or to a charity of your choice.

Special thanks to the staff of Hospice of Mercy, the caring nurses and techs at Hallmar and Mercy Medical Center, especially on the ninth, seventh and fourth floors, and all the employees at Ridgeview Assisted Living.

Please share a memory of Darlene at www. murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.