Ruby Craze (Roberts)

Rudder Funeral Home 45015 Alabama Highway 277 P. O. Box 525 Stevenson, Alabama 35772 256-437-2971 RUBY MOLENE ROBERTS CRAZE October 9, 1924 ~ April 11, 2009 Stevenson, Alabama Ruby Molene Roberts Craze, 84 of Stevenson, AL died peacefully in her sleep on April 11, 2009 at her home. Molene was born the oldest child of a 15 year-old mother of American Indian descent and a 24 year-old father of Dutch, Irish, English descent. She graduated from Pisgah High School and attended Jacksonville State University in a time when very few people went to college and even fewer women . She worked in the lunchroom on campus to afford tuition. After finishing one year of college, she started teaching fourth through sixth grades at Cameronsville School. It was a two-room school house with grades 1-3 in one room and 4-6 in the other room. After moving to the "valley", she met and married James Washington "J.W." Craze and raised a family. She went back to work as a rural mail carrier after J.W. retired. She seemed to truly enjoy that job. She was a member of McCoy's Grove Baptist Church and a member of the Eastern Star. Because of Alzheimer's Disease, she actually started disappearing in her 70's and she even said a few times she couldn't find herself. She was a daughter, sister, mother and friend. I believe she was defined by her sense of responsibility and duty. She helped take care of her mother for six years after her mother had a stroke and a part of my mother disappeared with the death of her mother. As she and my grandmother often said, they grew up together. She had a sense of duty and humor. She loved flowers and gardening. She was not overly affectionate, but showed her love through homemade meals, canned vegetable soup, pear preserves, jelly and garden vegetables. She was not given the gift of tact, but she never said anything behind anyone's back that she would not say in your presence. She was basic. She always gave people the benefit of doubt. She accepted birth, health and death as natural order, God's Will. That was our Mom, Ruby Molene Roberts Craze. She was preceded in death by her husband; John Washington "J.W." Craze; father William Matthew Roberts; mother Ida Mabel Woods Roberts; sister Lillian Roberts Fairbanks; and brother Leonard Gay Roberts. She is survived by her son Waymond "Hairy" Craze of Stevenson, AL; daughter Bernice Craze (Jack) Shepherd of Guntersville, AL; grandchildren: Hannah Carol Craze, David Patrick (Katrinia) Craze, Megan Shepherd; Kasey Evelyn Shepherd; great-grandchildren: Colt Craze, Khloe Craze; sisters: Nina Roberts (Larry) Dalton, Kelsey Roberts Wilbanks and sister-in-law Katherine Roberts and numerous nieces and nephews that she truly loved. Visitation will be Wednesday, 5-9 PM CDT at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson, AL. The funeral will be Thursday, April 16, at 11 AM CDT at the funeral home chapel officiated by Rev. Jerry Wilkerson and Rev. James Lackey. Interment will be at Sterne Cemetery in Stevenson. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Molene Craze may be made to the Sterne Cemetery Fund in care of Doris Arnold.

Ruby Craze (Roberts)

October 9, 1924 - April 11, 2009