Mary "Earline" Chapman Dodson Craft's Obituary
Obituary
Mary “Earline” Chapman Dodson Craft, 81, passed away, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at Circle of Life Hospice Home at Legacy Village in Bentonville, AR, embraced in the loving arms of her daughter, Laura.
Earline was born Dec 10, 1936 in Dallas, TX to Earl Clinton Chapman, Sr. and Agatha Mae/Moody. She was an outdoors woman who had a love for camping, fishing and hunting. She took great pride in the 5 point elk she shot in Colorado and valiantly attempted to get Laura to enjoy that elk meat disguising it in various forms. It didn't work.
Earline had a beautiful singing voice and enjoyed singing around the house, watching the birds outside her windows, sitting outside with the spring flowers and watching the world.
Earline is survived by her husband of 49 years, 11 months and 6 days, Boyd Gene Craft of Rogers; a daughter, Laura Davis Bauer and husband, David and grandson, Eric S. Bauer and wife, Janet all of Colorado Springs, Colorado; step-daughter, Vickie Craft Arismendez of La Junta, CO; step-granddaughter, April N. Arismendez of TX; birth children, Rita J. Bush and George A. Bush, Jr. both of Shreveport, LA; she sadly leaves behind her sisters, Jerrie Wingo of Mansfield, MO and Pearline Adams of Vacaville, CA; half-brother, Phillip Shepardson of Jackson, MS; foster sister, Karen Gayle Hall of MO; sister-in-law, Norma Banks of TX; two step great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents Earl and Agatha; four brothers, Jesse, Tommy, Harvey, and Earl Jr.; her foster parents, George and Bernice Dodson; foster siblings, Linda and Larry; and her beloved dogs, Pepie and Trixie, who while were referred to as brother/sister to Laura and Vickie, they really weren't no matter how many birthday cards they supposedly signed woof woof.
Earline was thrilled and quite pleased to have been a member of the Daniel Chapman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution out of Johnson Co, IL. Named for her great-great grandfather and Revolutionary War Soldier.
She enjoyed the reunions and continued friendship of her fellow School of the Ozarks Class of 1955 Alumni Group.
She loved traveling and was a military wife, supporting Gene in his assignments to Guam, Colorado twice, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Germany. She truly was born under a wandering star.
Services will be held at 2:00PM, Saturday, June 9, 2018 at Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services in Rogers. Internment will be at a later date at Fayetteville National Cemetery.
The family would like to express sincere appreciation and gratitude for the loving care Earline received at Circle of Life in Bentonville and Mercy Hospital.
She was my sunshine, my only sunshine. She made me happy when skies were gray. She absolutely knew dear, how much I loved her ….. please don't take my sunshine away...
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