Roger Craft

Roger Craft, age 78, of Decorah, Iowa, died on Tuesday, March 19, 2013, surrounded by his family, at the Barthell Eastern Star Home in Decorah, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 23, 2013, at the First United Methodist Church, 302 West Broadway, Decorah, IA, with Rev. John Caldwell presiding. Burial will be in the Kossuth Cemetery, Mediapolis, Iowa. Friends may call from 3:00-7:00 p.m., on Friday at the Schluter – Balik Funeral Home, 604 South Avenue, Decorah, IA, and also after 10:00 a.m., at the church on Saturday morning. Roger Dean Craft was born on April 26, 1934, the son of Arthur Grayden and Opal Elizabeth (Bowles) Craft in Hedrick, Iowa. Roger attended school and graduated from Mediapolis High School in 1953. While in school, Roger received the Eagle Scout Award. Roger loved his country and served in the US Navy, during the Korean War from 1952-53. Roger worked as a lineman for the Mediapolis Telephone Company. He was united in marriage to Cheryl Mehaffy on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1954, in Mediapolis, IA. They moved to California in 1956, where they both were hired by Bell Telephone. He was a walking installer on Hollywood Boulevard. They had two children, Douglas Alan and Connie Michelle and both were born in Los Angeles, CA. Roger transferred to Iowa City in 1961, and then to Decorah in 1968. After retiring from Northwest Bell, he purchased the Sanders Telephone Service, later changing the name to Craft Phone and Photo; which he operated until selling to Northeast Iowa Telephone Company in February 2000. Roger enjoyed golfing, fishing, taking photos, listening to music, feeding the birds, watching his grandchildren’s sporting events, and picking up special rocks. He enjoyed history and was an active member of the Winneshiek County Historical Society and recently was recognized for 500 hours of volunteering. Roger was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Silvercrest Golf Course, The Elks Club, where he served as Exalted Ruler and the Lions Club. Roger is survived by his wife: Cheryl Craft, Decorah, IA. One son: Doug (Judy) Craft, Decorah, IA. One daughter: Connie (Jeff) Krueger, Decorah, IA. Four grandchildren: Brittany and Emily Krueger, Kevin (Lisa) Nelson, and Shirlee (Chris) Taylor. Four great grandchildren: Morgan & Noah Taylor and Cyrek & Tynan Nelson. One brother: Ramon Craft, Leesburg, FL. One brother-in-law: Gordon (Nancy) Mehaffy, Henderson, NV. Two nieces: Nadine Craft and Janene Bartenhagen. Roger was preceded in death by his parents: Arthur G. and Opal E. (Bowles) Craft.