Dorothy Lenore McCord Craig

Dorothy Lenore McCord Craig, 1920-2012, died Sunday, September 23, in Midvale while on the way by ambulance to the Weiser Memorial Hospital. She was 92 years old. She was born on May 2, 1920, on a ranch near Antioch, Nebraska, the fourth of six children of James and Gladys Ogan McCord. In 1933 she graduated from eighth grade at Plummer Grade School near Oshkosh, Nebraska, a few months after her mother died of an extended illness. It was the "Dust Bowl" era with The Great Depression ravaging the country. The family worked at whatever they could to get by. Dorothy attended two years of high school in Omaha and Chadron, Nebraska, living with relatives. In the summer of 1935 her father took what possessions he had and his six children and joined the westward migration, hoping to make a better living. They arrived in Idaho in the Payette-Weiser Valley in August. When she went to Weiser high School to register, she could not pay the registration fee or buy her books. The superintendent allowed her to skip the first two weeks of school to work in the fruit orchards to earn her fees. The family was still struggling financially, so she lived in several private homes and worked for her board and room. She graduated from Weiser High School in the spring of 1937. She had hoped to become a nurse, but she lacked the money. She received a P.E.O. loan of $250 and enrolled at Lewiston State Normal School where she was admitted to the National Honor Society Beta Sigma Phi. She graduated as a teacher in 1940 and was hired to teach in the rural school on South Crane Creek near Midvale. Her first winter of teaching she met a local bachelor rancher, Elvin O. Craig. They were married in May, 1942 and spent their honeymoon on West Mountain where Elvin rode for the Weiser River Cattlemen. Dorothy's South Crane Creek teaching contract did not allow her to be married, so she began teaching fifth and six grade in Council. In the fall of 1943 the Craigs bought a farm in Indian Valley. There their children Sally and Larry were born. Several years later they moved to Goodrich and Dorothy resumed teaching in Indian Valley. In 1956 the Craigs moved to Cambridge. Dorothy attended summer school at the College of Idaho in Caldwell to keep her teaching certificate current. In the spring of 1958 the family moved to the Craig home ranch near Midvale where they lived for over 30 years. Dorothy was involved in many community activities, including the Rebekah's, Weiser Mental Health Association, Red Cross, heart, cancer and arthritis fund drives. She helped to promote the building of the swimming pool in Midvale. She was a long time member of the Cowbelles, serving as president of the Weiser River Cowbelles and Historian for the Idaho State Cowbelles. She was on the Board of Directors of the Intermountain Cultural Center and Museum and served for a time as Washington County's Republican State Committee woman. She and her husband were active with the Midvale Lions Club.
She always had a great love of art. She helped organize the Four County Art Guild, serving as President. She did a lot of drawing and oil painting and took classes from some distinguished artists. She had several showings and won Best of Show, Agriculture Art, at the 1973 Western Idaho Fair. Ranch life and her hobbies of art and gardening took up most of her time. Her vegetable garden was prolific and her flowers were always beautiful. She kept a daily diary of the weather, ranch activities and newsworthy events for 56 years.
In the early 1990s Dorothy and Elvin retired from the ranch to a home in Payette where she gardened, painted and became active in her church and community. She became a member of P.E.O. Chapter N in Payette. In July she moved to the Salubria Center in Cambridge. Dorothy is preceded in death by her husband Elvin, her sisters Mary Ann Heavener, Shirley Mitchell and Laura Mae Wilson, her brothers James and Mike and her great grandson Devon Daniels. She is survived by her daughter Sally Ann Summers and husband Bill, her son U.S. Senator Larry E. Craig, retired, and wife Suzanne, her grandchildren Julie Summers Prather, Marnie Summers, Michael Craig, Shae Craig Anderson and Jay Craig, 14 great grandchildren, 1 great-great granddaughter and 16 nieces and nephews. A celebration of her life will be held at the Payette Methodist Church on Saturday, October 6 at 2:00 pm. Services and arrangements are under the direction of Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, Payette. Condolences may be made to Dorothy's family at www.shaffer-jensenchapel.com. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions be made to the Salubria Center of Cambridge or the Cambridge Ambulance Fund, c/o Shaffer-Jensen Memory Chapel, P.O. Box 730, Payette, Idaho 83661.

Service Details.

Service

When: Saturday, October 6th, 2012
Location: Funeral Home
Address: