Jeff Crawford, Jr.

James & Sikes Funeral Home Maddox Chapel Jeff Crawford Jr. died on April 14, 2015 after a short illness. He was born on September 6, 1938 in Marianna, Florida as the second son of Mattie Lourene Crawford and Jeff Crawford Sr. He graduated from Marianna High School in 1955 and completed his Associate of Arts degree at Chipola Jr. College in 1957. He started farming with his father at age 16 while attending Chipola. Jeff married his sweetheart, Katherine Shepard, on June 21, 1959. He farmed peanuts, corn, soybeans, and watermelons for more than 50 years in Jackson County and Houston County. It was his true calling from God to make his living from the land as his father and grandfather had both done before him for many years. He was a very successful peanut farmer throughout his career and received numerous awards such as: Valor award for his significant contribution to the Southeastern Peanut Growers and leadership in the peanut industry; the Outstanding Farm Family of 1986 for Jackson County; the University of Florida IFAS Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2004; the Florida Peanut Producers recognition for major contributions to the 1995 Farm Bill; and Outstanding Service and Leadership as President of Jackson County Farm Bureau from 1987-1990. He served as the Executive Director for the Florida Peanut Producers for several years and worked on numerous national farm bills in Washington, D.C. to support the peanut growers and industry. He served on the Chipola College Board of Directors for 14 years. He served as the Sunday School teacher to his sons and other teenage boys for about 8 years at the Malone United Methodist Church. He was a devout member of the Cliff Abbott Sunday School Class at Marianna First United Methodist Church. He loved Gator football and attended games every year for more than 35 years. He became a private pilot in 1982 and enjoyed flying his Cessna Cardinal plane for 15 years. Jeff was an avid fisherman throughout his life and loved to fish in Iamonia Lake, Lake Seminole, and the family ponds. He loved to fry fish for his wife, family, and friends on every occasion possible. He loved his family dearly and he was highly respected and loved by many friends and people that he touched and supported during his life. He and his beloved wife, Katherine, enjoyed spending time together for trips to the mountains and across the US, loving and seeing their grandchildren as they grew from babies to adults, and attending Gator football games in their Orange & Blue attire. He also had plenty of other passions such as making cane syrup with family and friends by using his cane grinding and cooking process on his farm, making fig preserves each summer, riding his golf cart on his farm daily, and seeing close friends each morning with his Hardees' group. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend and he was deeply loved and admired by so many in Jackson County and the wider farming community. He was predeceased by his parents, Jeff Crawford Sr. and Mattie Lourene Crawford, son Randy, older brother Calvin, and younger brother Harold. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Katherine Shepard Crawford, son Wilton (wife Selena), grandchildren Alicia, Katie, & Wil, brother Larry (wife Glenda), brother Tim (wife Jan), and many nieces and nephews. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, any contributions may be made to the Cliff Abbott Sunday School Class (Marianna First United Methodist Church) for charity purposes. The family wishes to extend their deep gratitude for the compassionate care by Dr. Robert Latimer, Dr. Nelson Gwinn, and the staff at Southeast Alabama Medical Center and by Dr. Steven Spence and staff at Jackson Hospital. Funeral services will be Saturday, April 18, 2015 at First United Methodist Church in Marianna at 2 o'clock in the afternoon with Rev. Bill Elwell officiating. Interment will follow in Cypress Cemetery with James & Sikes Funeral Home, Maddox Chapel of Marianna directing. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral service in the sanctuary of The First United Methodist Church.