Howard Crausby

Services are scheduled at 10 a.m. Friday, Sep. 14, at First United Methodist Church for Howard Preston Crausby, 1104 Centre Ave., Artesia, New Mexico.

Mr. Crausby, 91, died Saturday, September 8, 2012 at Artesia General Hospital.

Rev. Monty Leavell will officiate at the services with burial at Twin Oaks Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Eddy Houghtaling, Stephen Houghtaling, Gregory Eakin, George Leo Trezise, Eric Gunderson, and John Knight.

Howard was born December 1, 1920 in Shannon, Mississippi the son of Howard Agustus Crausby and Teresa Mabel Francis Crausby. He was the oldest of four children. Howard loved school and learning. He met Lettie Rose Prycer in Timpson Texas. They were married on August 6, 1939 in Bossier City, Louisana. He was a World War II vetern. He workedas an auto mechanic and manager of a cotton compress in Timpson. It ultimately lead to his assignment to move to Artesia in 1953 where he became the supervisor of the Artesia Compress for 39 years..

On Aug. 6, 1939 he was married to Lettie Rose Prycer in Bossier City, LA. She preceded him in death Aug. 15, 2011.

He was a lifelong Methodist and a Mason. He was active in the Elks Lodge, Artesia Downtown Lions Club, VFW as well as the Masonic Lodge. His love for learning was lifelong. At one time he took a Dale Carnegie course and then in his later years he enrolled in a computer class and used it to continue his learning. When he developed macular degeneration he was unable to read books and articles that had been so dear to him.

In spite of his infirmities, Howard and Lettie continued to care deeply for one another. Their 72 years of marriage were indeed a remarkable accomplishment.

Howard was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and by his wife Lettie. He was also preceded in death by an infant son, Charles Oneal, and another son, Raleigh Winston Crausby in 1992. His granddaughter, Teresa Carol Crausby passed away with cancer in 1995.

He is survived by children: David Crausby and wife Linda of Roswell, Teresa Schmid and husband Rollie of Artesia, and Owen of Artesia a sister Sue Broussard of Friendswood, Texas. He has 13 grandchildren and 24 greatgrandchildren.