Mary Lou Craft

Mary Lou was born in Rushville, Indiana and spent her childhood living in the small towns of East Central Indiana, including Greensfork and Hagerstown, where she graduated from high school in 1965. She grew up in a blended family and was the youngest of ten children. Her mother, Magdalene (1916-1986), and her father, Clarence (1901-1976), were both previously married with children. Mary Lou was the youngest child of Magdalene and Clarence’s union; her sister Evelyn was only 17 months her elder.

Growing up on different farms with her family, Mary Lou loved being outdoors. Ever the tomboy, she was prone to adventure and unafraid of skinned knees. Her childhood days were filled with exploring wooded areas, climbing trees, picking wild blackberries and strawberries along the roads with her mother and playing softball, volleyball and basketball with her friends and siblings. Mary Lou was very close to her father, Clarence, and would sometimes hunt for rabbits and mushrooms and go fishing with him after he had finished working the farm. She developed her strong work ethic as early as 9 years old when she would leave school and meet her father and her siblings at the area cemeteries to mow them for extra money. Together, Clarence and Mary Lou also mowed and cared for the extensive lawns of numerous neighbors in town for several years.

Mary Lou met her husband of 55 years, Bruce D. Craft of Richmond, Indiana (deceased), on a blind date at a bowling alley set up by their mutual friends. Mary Lou liked Bruce because he was tall, intelligent, and handsome, and his quick wit always made her laugh. During their courtship, Bruce would ride his Schwinn along 10-plus miles of country road to visit Mary Lou while she was living with her family in Greensfork, Indiana. Mary Lou and Bruce wed in the winter of 1966 in Richmond, Indiana. They rented an A-frame home in Chester, Indiana, while they worked to grow their newlywed household.

Bruce was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1967 during the Vietnam War and served with the 25th Infantry Division. A naturally gifted writer, Bruce sent Mary Lou many letters he wrote from beneath tarps in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Mary Lou received his letters while living with her parents when Bruce was overseas, praying for his safe return to Indiana. Bruce was severely wounded in combat in the spring of 1968. He underwent several surgeries in Tokyo, Japan and Indianapolis, Indiana. Bruce was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in December 1968. Following surgeries and physical rehabilitation, and when Bruce was able, the young couple moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he studied journalism at Indiana University.

Mary Lou became pregnant with her one and only child, Wendy, in the early 1970s. Mary Lou loved being a young mother and felt blessed that God had given her a daughter. After a few years, seeking a new beginning in the arid deserts of the Southwest, Mary Lou, Bruce, and Wendy loaded up a friend’s VW Bus and their dog Dandy and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1975. Mary Lou remained close to her family and, along with Bruce and Wendy, frequently visited her half-sister, Donna Bowman (deceased), who lived in Burbank, California, with her husband, Noah Bowman (deceased).

Mary Lou and Bruce eventually moved to Glendale, Arizona and joined a Christian church. They sang in the church choir while Wendy played among the pews during choir practice.

True to her upbringing and love of the outdoors, Mary Lou was a dependable neighbor and was frequently in the yard, mowing or tending to the trees and bushes. She would host many sleepovers for Wendy and her neighborhood friends. Always a kid at heart, Mary Lou would play and swim with Wendy and her friends in the community pool during the sweltering Phoenix summers.

Mary Lou volunteered at Wendy’s grade school library during the years Wendy attended. Many of Wendy’s classmates liked “Mrs. Craft,” who was always kind and helpful during their library visits. Always a reader, Mary Lou later worked for many years at three Waldenbooks bookstores around the Valley of the Sun. She enjoyed the outlet that working provided while making extra money to support Wendy with her high school activities and, later, university costs. Mary Lou took a part-time retail job following her Waldenbooks tenure. She made friends easily and was always generous and caring; she frequently gave some of her coworkers rides home if they were without a car.

At age 60, Mary Lou was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent surgeries and treatments that eradicated the cancer cells. The cancer never returned.

Over the years, Mary Lou enjoyed many hobbies, such as crosswords, crocheting, making counted cross-stitch designs, creating diamond art pictures, using a handheld loom to make beanies from soft yarn, and donating them to homeless shelters. She frequently messaged her family and Wendy on her iPad, sharing everything from amusing animal videos to weather reports. Always a spiritual person and a lifelong Christian, Mary Lou read her bible daily. She loved all animals and cared for her family’s pet dogs and birds. Mary Lou’s gaze was frequently turned upward to admire the beautiful clouds and sky, and she always wished for the rain to cool the hot desert days.

Mary Lou always remained tight-knit with her sister Evelyn. She kept in touch with her nieces, nephews, cousins, sisters–and–brothers–in–law on the telephone or her tablet and sent greeting cards on birthdays and holidays. Mary Lou was close to her only child, Wendy, and they talked and texted daily. She frequently stayed with Wendy at her home across the Valley, bringing her dog Boo along for the ride. Together, they would run errands, eat out, walk their dogs and enjoy quiet time.

Mary Lou is survived by her daughter Wendy M. Craft, sister Evelyn Keister, sisters-in-law Christine Craft, Barbara Craft, Darice Craft and Peggy Craft, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends.