Our Dad, Stephen J. Crane was born March 15, 1943, in Montpelier, Idaho. His parents were Jack Roland Crane and Jennie Sparks Crane. He was the 2nd child in a family of eight children; two boys and six girls. He graduated from Montpelier High School in 1961. He attended college at Utah State University (Logan, UT), the University of Idaho, (Moscow, ID) and Solano College, (Fairfield, CA). He served four years with the United States Air Force, where he met his beautiful wife Charlotte. They were married December 23, 1972, on Mount Vaca, in Vacaville, CA. They later were sealed for Time and All Eternity with their children in the Logan, Utah Temple on Feb. 23, 1981.
Stephen spent six years with the California Department of Public Health as a cancer research lab technician and in the wholesale building materials business, employed by Sequoia Supply Division of Wickes Corporation. After moving his family back to the Bear Lake Valley, he worked several years with Protector, Inc. and later in the trucking industry. He was employed as the manager of the Homecare Medical Equipment store in Montpelier the final 15 years of his career until his retirement in 2008.
He was grateful for his membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and faithfully served in various callings over the years. He loved the outdoors, whether it was racing his jeep through the sand dunes, 4-wheeling in the mountains, or boating/fishing in the water. He also loved being behind the wheel of his farming equipment and getting his boots dirty. He enjoyed giving his grandkids rides on the old car hood during the winter seasons. Always the early bird, he would greet his children in the morning with the common “Rise and Shine” phrase, which was usually followed by any number of excuses from the kids to linger just a little longer in their beds. He was a “jack of all trades” and put great thought into any project he undertook. He was usually smiling and quick to tell a joke – a trait that runs in the family. Fittingly, April 1st was his favorite holiday where he usually found too much enjoyment in playing any number of jokes on family and friends. During his health struggles over the last several years, his wife adopted a Jack Russel who became his “man’s best friend”, Chloe. The two of them were inseparable.
Stephen will be greatly missed, but left a life time of wonderful memories for his family & friends. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather & friend. Stephen is survived by his wife Charlotte, his son Brent (Shellie) Crane, daughter, Monica (James) Stone, six grandsons and four granddaughters. Siblings: Polly (late Bill) Willardson, Janet (Gail) Godfrey, LaRee (Marty) Baker, Kristi (Karl) Bartschi, Glenn (Debbie) Crane and SunDee (Randy) White. He was preceded in death by his parents Jack & Jennie Crane and Sister Linda Brittian.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 30th at 11:00 am in the Bennington LDS Chapel located at 24 E. Center Street in Bennington, Idaho. A viewing will be held on Wednesday, July 29th at the Bennington LDS Chapel from 7 to 9 pm and from 9:30 – 10:45 am the day of the funeral. Interment will be in the Bennington Cemetery, with services under the direction of Schwab-Matthews Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your local Boy Scout Chapter.