Evelyn C. Crawford

Evelyn C. Crawford Obituary

Evelyn Cottrell Crawford passed away at home on January 20, 2024, with her daughter by her side.

Born in Century, Florida, Evelyn was the youngest child of the late Eddie and Mary Belle (Lambert) Cottrell. She was raised in Montrose, Alabama, and she attended Alabama A & M University, majoring in elementary education. While in college, Evelyn met, and soon after graduation, married Alfred Herbert Crawford. Together they moved to Scotch Plains, New Jersey, where they raised their one daughter, Mary Adonica. During these years, Evelyn was active in the Eta Omicron Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a sisterhood that promotes scholarship and community outreach. After Alfred passed away in 1986, Evelyn remained in the Scotch Plains area for several years.

Evelyn had a long and impactful career as an elementary school teacher. Evelyn felt a profound responsibility for increasing her students’ knowledge because she understood that her efforts, when added to those of other educators, would cultivate students' self-confidence, broaden their understanding of themselves and the world around them, and ultimately expand their life options. Special projects extended and enriched the daily instruction Evelyn provided. She fondly spoke about teaching Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach ; her students were captivated by the idea that a giant peach could be used to cross the Atlantic Ocean. As a culminating activity, the class made peach ice cream. Evelyn prepared the ingredients at home and brought these along with her hand crank ice cream freezer to school. Her students each had a chance to turn the crank, and everyone enjoyed a tasty treat… and an unforgettable literacy experience. For Evelyn, teaching was a form of service that meant blending special experiences like this with rigorous, sound teaching. Over decades, she impacted many lives.

Evelyn was a devoted grandmother, and in 2003 she moved to Flemington so that she could be of help while her daughter and son-in-law were at work. Called Oma by her grandsons (and their friends), she took an active role in their lives, assisting with homework, attending all special events at school, and taking them swimming at her community pool. When her daughter returned to graduate school full-time, Evelyn helped by hosting family dinners at her house on Wednesdays. Definitely, this was the highlight of everyone’s week because they could enjoy abundant, well-prepared meals that included her grandsons’ favorite main courses and a variety of desserts. Her expectation was that everyone eat…and eat a lot! Frequently she would keep tabs on the amount of food remaining on platters and in serving dishes, and she would announce her expectation that everyone return for second (and third) helpings. Wednesday dinners at Oma’s were times when love flowed through serving dishes and reverberated over the hum of the stove fan. These meals left her family’s stomachs and hearts full.

Shortly after moving to Flemington, Evelyn joined St. Paul Lutheran Church, where she served as a Vacation Bible School volunteer. Later, she was active in the Church’s Stephen Ministry and in the Happy Agers Club. Evelyn also enjoyed preparing Holy Communion elements ahead of Sunday worship services. Sunday services and her involvement in church activities gave her the chance to cultivate her faith in God. Evelyn was a life-long Christian, and her years at St. Paul Lutheran Church were an important part of her Christian walk.

Recently, Evelyn joined the Grandview Grange, a service organization that supports local family and community projects. Evelyn enjoyed attending Grange meetings, and Grange projects were always a source of enjoyment because they gave her the opportunity to learn new things and to foster friendships.

Evelyn was a weekly volunteer at the Flemington Area Food Pantry for over 20 years! Her job was to fill the grocery orders placed by clients so that they and their families could have nourishing meals. She viewed this as an important way to help meet the needs of others, and her work with this organization provided her with a great sense of fulfillment. Evelyn loved the sense of camaraderie that thrives among Food Pantry volunteers. This meant a lot to her, and she would frequently tell her family about witty remarks and good times had at monthly birthday recognitions and after-work lunches. Her Food Pantry friends were very important to her.

Throughout Evelyn’s life, she deeply enjoyed engaging with others and contributing to worthy aims. Never someone who wanted to be front and center, she relished modest forms of service, and she brought her very best to many endeavors so that others might be better off through them. Kindness, humility and service are her enduring legacy. These are her gifts, and many family and friends remain to cherish them. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Mary and Sammie McGriff; grandsons Joshua, David (Ji In), and Samuel; brother-in-law, Lambert Crawford (Ida), sisters-in-law, Alice Jenkins and Lula Crawford, and many well-loved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Evelyn’s name may be made to the Flemington Area Food Pantry, PO Box 783, Flemington, NJ 08822 or online at https://flemingtonfoodpantry.org .

Funeral services, officiated by Pastor Bob Mueller, will take place on Friday, January 26, 2024, at 10:30 AM in the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ. Committal services, officiated by Pastor Kent Cottrell, and interment will follow in Hillside Cemetery, 1401 Woodland Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ. Friends and relatives may visit with the family at the funeral home from 9:00 AM until the time of the service on Friday morning.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ 08822. For further information or to send an online condolence, please visit Evelyn’s Tribute Wall at www.holcombefisher.com.