Doris Genell Craft Good was our mother. She was welcomed Home into the arms of her Savior Jesus Christ on Saturday, September 28, 2019, she was 93. While Alzheimer’s took her from us over the past several years, it was failing bone marrow that ultimately took her life. The hard days of walking our Mother home have been a privilege.
Doris was born in Lake City, Arkansas July 26, 1926 to Gordon and Thelma Craft. She often shared stories of growing up as a daughter of a cotton farmer; sharing the hard work of picking cotton. A graduate of Dixie High School, she was a faithful attender of the Dixie Dragons reunions for many years. A proud member of the girls’ basketball team always made for great stories. Many of her school friends remained good friends and in contact till the last few years. Doris loved learning and our mom would have been very successful in todays “Women’s work force”. Over the years she held some outside-the-home jobs, always excelling. Of all the many possibilities, her choices led to focus her energy on her family.
She married Sumner “Sump” Good (proceeded in death 4/12/2012), on August 20, 1944. As a couple from the World War II era, they started a family after Sump came home from the war. Leaving Arkansas for California looking for a strong future was a hard journey that included lots of moves and houses to prepare to make them feel like home, but California is where she would remain.
Their 4 girls had arrived by 1955. Caring for her girls was her priority. As an excellent seamstress, she would spend every summer sewing to prepare her 4 daughters for the start of the new school year. As the girls grew up prom dresses and wedding dresses were added to her creations. Curtains and drapes would flow right out of the machine. Sewing Machines, Needles and Threads were a regular part of our family life. All her girls sew and what a wonderful gift to pass on!
All 4 girls experienced the love of parents that would stand with them and know the value of being loved no matter what. If you met Doris, you’d know that her faith in Jesus was strong and central to her life. It motivated and generated her behavior and how well she treated and cared for family and friends. Knowing those she loved knew Jesus as their Savior was very important to her. Do you???
A favorite memory! Waterskiing as a family with close friends and family are a family favorite. Often it was a lake run after work or church, Mom seemed always prepared with a Scotch-caddy full of home-made chili and a jug of ice tea. Mom drove the boat for dad to ski, and she took great pleasure in dumping dad, especially when he would jerk the back of the boat from side to side. Those days playing at the lake were the sweetest. Keep in mind our mom was responsible for watching us; she never learned to swim!
Family vacations mostly meant heading to Arkansas to visit both Mom and Dad’s families. This meant fast trips, no hotel over nights (driving straight through), no air conditioning! Stop at the market, a loaf of white bread, miracle whip (yes miracle whip) and a package of bologna turned into yummy sandwiches and we were back on the road. Oh, and cold milk, and that large thermos of iced tea! And maybe a splurge for can soda!
Come for dinner! All were welcome at her table. If folks ate very many meals at our house, Mom’s tacos would have been enjoyed! She introduced many folks to pickles on their tacos! Don’t you eat pickles on your tacos? We have no idea the count of tacos fried and served over the years. She could fry up a mess of catfish with fried taters that would make any fancy chef jealous! She also made her famous jam cake Christmas desert every year that was a treat for all who ever had it. It was really all about the frosting! So sad that none of her girls make it, maybe we will give it a try now.
Happiness for mom could be found in many things, in the later years it was ice cream, pretty much any flavor. The more of it the better and she’d be willing to help you eat yours also. The girls remember gathering where she would prepare a milk mixture—with those junket tablets—and each of them would take turns sitting on top of towels as the men would hand crank the homemade ice cream! The past few years there’s been great joy shared over ice cream!
Her heart full of love and care, for years she was heavily involved in church being a Sunday school teacher, leading the Girls Auxiliary, drafting and printing church bulletins, church secretary, church treasurer and investing time in the youth group where she became “mom” to many of the kids.
As her girls married, the son in laws became her boys also. It seems son in laws have special rights to tease and joke with her, and she for sure could hold her own with them until they got her laughing! Laughter was a frequent visitor in our home and lives.
Grandchildren followed and she took tremendous pleasure and pride in all of them, then the Great Grandchildren came compounding the love to share. Only miles limited those relationships. As we watched her with the grandchildren, we understood how important each child was as she invested in them just as she had her girls. The great grands took it to a whole other level. She was so thrilled to recently meet and hold her great-great-grandchild!
If you asked her what she’d been working on, her frequent reply was working on her pictures and scrapbooks. She spent hours and hours putting photos in albums, organizing them and things she’d saved over the years. Cards, letters, magazine articles and recipes all organized in notebooks and mostly labeled. Perhaps a way to remember and bring back to the surface the thoughts and feelings of the people and occasions that were brought back to mind.
Alzheimer’s is an awful disease. Over the years as it stole her memory, her appreciation and love of “her girls” was still in the words she would share, even as she could no longer call us by name. In those years after dad died, her spoken words of him were of pride and love for him. The gratefulness we feel for the blessings of sweet conversations, and those moments when we knew, that she knew, who we were, remain overwhelming for us.
As we celebrate our mom, and we do celebrate, knowing that the hope and faith she placed in Jesus as a young girl is now fully fulfilled. She shares her days forward in eternity in the presence of her Savior!
What a wonderful reunion we look forward to.
Her heritage continues in the lives and love of her family and friends!
~ DAUGHTERS and SON IN LAWS ~
Saundra Elaine Blosser – Salida, CA
Thelma Genella & Donald Williams – Ceres, CA
Myrtle Nadine & Bruce Hill - Rapid City, SD
Ella Jane & David Taylor – Tustin, CA
~ GRAND CHILDREN ~
Cherie Kumetat (deceased 10/2016)
Vincent Dowler (Carol Dowler) Clements, CA
Janie Marie Ricker (Jim Ricker) Caldwell, ID
Erin Hill – Rapid City, SD
Michele Seaholm (AJ Seaholm) Rapid City SD
Brianna Schaaf (Ryan Schaaf) Lakewood, CA
~ GREAT GRAND CHILDREN ~
Jennifer Rash – Diboll, Tx
Amanda Griswold (Matt Klein) Morgan Hill, CA
Clayton Dowler – Sonora, CA
John Gilbertson – Ceres, CA
James Gilbertson – Caldwell, ID
Taryn Seaholm – Rapid City, SD
Tagan Seaholm- Rapid City, SD
~ GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN ~
Josie Wells Klein – Morgan Hill, CA
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