Mom passed away peacefully at her home in Austin, Texas of natural causes on Monday, August 20, 2012. She was born on April 14, 1914 at the Urania, Louisiana Sawmill to Jefferson Arthur Crawford, the sawmill’s doctor, and Ira Beall Tucker Crawford.
Ethelyn moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana where she attended Central Elementary and Lake Charles High School. She graduated with honors from Louisiana State University in 1935 with a BA in music, and was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. She married James Arthur Gaskin in 1935 at the First Methodist Church in Lake Charles.
Following the death of her husband in 1975 she settled in Austin, TX. Ethelyn was a member of the Faith United Methodist Church, sang in the choir and was a Sunday school teacher, providing community services such as Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, and reading to elementary school children. Ethelyn lived in Austin for 31 years, and during her last 4 years her youngest daughter Melinda, lived with and cared for her.
Ethelyn is survived by her 5 children: Peter and wife Barbara of Oklahoma City, OK; Bill and wife Birda of Houston, TX; Tuckie Tuttle and husband Kenneth of Baton Rouge, LA; Cindy Childers of Fenwick Island, DE and Melinda Gaskin Flores of Austin, TX. She is also survived by 13 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren, and 3 great great grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m., Sunday, August 26, 2012 at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. Graveside services will be held at a later date in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The family sincerely appreciates Hospice of Austin caregivers, especially Alma and Linda, and Mom’s many friends and neighbors. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the Boy Scouts of America, Capitol Area Council, Faith United Methodist Church in Austin, TX, or Hospice of Austin.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18