- Date Of Birth: May 7, 1928
- Date Of Death: January 22, 2018
- State: Idaho
Ralph Edgar Crane passed away at age 89 on Monday, January 22, 2018 at his home in Grangeville. He was a very kind and soft-spoken man who loved the Lord. His devotion to his family and his firm belief in God served him well throughout his life.
Ralph was born on May 7th, 1928 to Harry and Ora Crane of Clear Springs, Missouri. He was the eldest of 7 children, growing up in Missouri and Iowa. After graduating from Agency Iowa High School in 1945, he and his family moved to Idaho seeking work. He found employment working for the Landreth Brothers lumber mill in Mt. Idaho. He later worked for Haener Lumber Company in Grangeville, before returning to work for the Landreth Brothers at Kamiah Mills where he worked until retirement in 1992. Ralph drove the 45 minute commute for more than 25 years.
Ralph eloped with Vivian Peters on September 29, 1951 to Lewiston. On their honeymoon, the couple traveled to Canada and bought a brand spanking new 1952 green Chevy convertible. In 1961 they purchased 10 acres of ground south of Grangeville known as Nurses Grove where they raised a large and loving family of 7 children, building their family home and several other homes on the acreage. Ralph and Vivian recently celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.
Ralph was an avid sportsman and outdoorsman, enjoying fly fishing and elk hunting. He owned a ’57 Willy’s Jeep which took him and his family on numerous adventures. Summertime evenings were spent with his wife and children at a favorite swimming hole on the South Fork, cooking hamburgers over the coals. He enjoyed an annual hike into the Lower Gospel Lake as well as taking several fishing trips to Alaska, with his sons Mike and Greg and various family members. Ralph grew a large garden and was especially proud of his strawberry and raspberry patches.
