- Date Of Birth: December 5, 1920
- Date Of Death: August 30, 2018
- State: Illinois
Edith R. Crowcroft, 97, of Jacksonville, died August 30, 2018, at Heritage Health in Jacksonville. She was born at home on December 5, 1920, the daughter of the late Lester A. and Minerva Deatherage Reed, living five miles southeast of Jacksonville on El Dorado Farm.
She is survived by four children, Edward W. (Dolly) Cox of Encinitas, CA, Meredith E. (Phil) Houle of Urbandale, IA, John C. (companion, Susan Muskat) Cox of Minneapolis, MN, and Ronald W. (companion, Cindy Livingston) Cox of Jacksonville; six grandchildren; thirteen great grandchildren; two step-children, Patricia Pennell of Jacksonville, and Edward D. (Jean) Crowcroft of Springfield; four step-grandchildren; four step-great grandchildren; and two brothers, John E. (Martha) Reed of Jerseyville, and James E. (Eileen) Reed of Rehoboth Beach, DE. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dale Crowcroft; five brothers, Bob, Bill, Dick, Don, and Andy; her only sister, Alice I. Will; and one grandson, Genghis Muskox.
Mrs. Crowcroft attended a one-room country school, which was known as the Narrows, until January 1934. The Reed family home was destroyed by fire and they moved to South Jacksonville. She graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1939, and received her B.S. degree from MacMurray College in 1943. She taught home economics at Perry Community High School from 1943 to 1945. She married the late William G. Cox in 1945, and they lived on a farm south of Orleans.
In addition to being the mother of four children and a homemaker, Edith was an integral part of the daily operation of the family farm as well as the Wilco Fertilizer Company. In 1962, she began working for Jacksonville School District #117 as Director of Food Services, a position she held until her retirement in 1990. After retiring, she married Dale Crowcroft in 1994.
Edith was a member of the American and Illinois School Food Service Associations, and served on the Board of Directors of the latter organization for two terms. She was a longtime member of Grace United Methodist Church, Methodist Church Women United, and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. She was known for her creativity with food and attention to details.
