Howrd Laverne Craft

Howard L. Craft, 74, of 10566 S. Washington Ave. died at 3:35 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph's Hospital where he was admitted on July 23. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hewitt, with the Rev. T. P. Bradtke officiating. Music will be provided by Mrs. T. P. Bradtke, organist, and William A. Allen, soloist. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Loyal Strack, Fred Pierson, Neil Blanchard, Roland Thompson, Donald Schnitzler and Keith E. Skattebo. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. Sunday and again from 7-8:30 a.m. Monday at Rembs/Kundinger Chapel and from 9:30 to the time of service Monday at the church. An Elks Lodge of Sorrow service will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be given in Mr. Craft's name, as the family will designate a memorial at a later date. He was born Dec. 3, 1914, in Brainard, Iowa, to George and Lila (Blanchard) Craft. His family moved to the town of Richfield in Wood County when he was a child. He attended school in Elgin, Iowa, and McKinley High School in Marshfield. He married Martha W. Schalla on Oct. 22, 1938, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Pittsville. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1988. He worked in Marshfield and later in Fort Atkinson. After his marriage, he farmed in the Arpin area. In 1943, he moved to the town of Cameron where he continued to farm. In 1947, Craft and Wilbert Mittelstaedt, started a chainsaw business and in 1955 they opened an automobile salvage company. In 1957, he became sole owner of the business, which then became Craft's Trading Center. He retired in 1977 and a son, Dale, became the owner and operator of the business. He was a former treasurer of the town of Cameron, a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hewitt, the Lutheran League of Laymen, Elks Lodge No.665 of Marshfield and United Commercial Travelers. Survivors include his wife; three sons; two daughters; a sister, Mrs. Marguerite Dupee of Arpin; a brother, Wayne of Nekoosa; and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents and a sister. Marshfield (Wisconsin) News-Herald, Saturday, July 29, 1989