Mary Lou Crawford – A Century of Living Learning and Loving

Julie Hill Lehr

November heralds the beginning of cold weather, celebrating our Veterans and giving thanks for what we have.

Help me decide who this column should feature next? Please email your ideas to me in care of editor Gabe Stark, GStark@cherryroad.com or contact him at 660-654-0926. I look forward to hearing from you.

This month’s featured Trentonian is Mary Lou Crawford.

Mary Lou Crawford is unusual in a number of ways including that she has lived for almost a century. She is resilient. She is hard working. She cares about people. She is a lifelong learner. She is kind. She is the type of person many seek to be. She attributes the amazing life she has had so far to what she learned in her early years.

It was 1925. The height of the roaring 20s. Jazz was popular, the radio was a new way to get news, the economy was booming and Mary Lou Crawford was born on November 25, 1925 on a farm near Laredo, Missouri to George and Grace Pew. The Pews farmed Grace’s parents’, Walter and Annie Robertson’s, land. Though the economy flourished in urban areas, rural areas were having a more difficult time

In 1927 Dale was born, joining older siblings, Floyd, Anna, Chester, Norris and Mary Lou and the Pew family was complete. Farm life included planting crops, raising animals and making food for the family. Mary Lou noted that things were so different then. Their well water came from the roof of their house, going through a filter before being stored in their well.

Early Years

In 1929 a global economic downturn impacted everyone and the Great Depression began. Mary Lou’s family, like everyone else, felt the impact of the depression. The Robertsons lost the farm and Mary Lou’s family was forced to move. In 1937 they rented a farm on east side of Trenton on land people called Harbor Hill. That land was across the road from where the Lakeview Motor Lodge used to be.

Times were tough. The family home had no running water and only a drop cord for electricity in most of the rooms. A potbellied stove heated the home. Mary Lou said the bedrooms were cold, but tolerable. Food was boring as they ate the same things much of the time. They ate food they could produce from the farm. She said they had meat, potatoes and food from the garden. All members of the family worked to sustain their life. Mary Lou remembers the washing machine had a stick handle to operate the agitator. Each of the six children were asked to operate the handle for five minutes while the clothes washed. As she and her younger brother were not too good at telling time, the four older ones took advantage of that by making their time shorter and longer for the two younger ones. “The older kids decided to make me and my younger brother work a little harder. Their five minutes was a little longer, while the older kids time was shorter,” she said. “When Mom realized the older kids were tricking the younger ones, the younger kids didn’t have to do that task at all.”

The family made everything including Christmas decorations. “We got our tree from the farm, she explained. “We made popcorn chains and paper chains to decorate the tree.”

They didn’t have luxuries, but found joy in everyday things.

“I think I got my sense of appreciation from the very beginning of my life,” she said. “Most of the families didn’t have a lot. We learned to enjoy and appreciate what we did have.”

In 1939 the family moved to and rented a farm which an insurance company had repossessed. This place was located on Route Y just east of Dave’s body shop. There was a nice two-story house with a big barn and sheds. The rural area now had electricity. It was a very nice place to call home.

Education

Mary Lou started first grade in Laredo in 1932. When she lived at Harbor Hill She went to Norton School in Trenton. She said she and her younger brother walked everywhere including from Harbor Hill to Norton School.

When she lived on Route Y, she attended Ream School that was located at Highway 6 and the Route Y intersection, for seventh and eighth grade. For 9th grade she attended Central School, now the North Central Missouri College campus. She said that was the only year she didn’t like school.

“I didn’t like it because the country kids and the town kids had nothing to bring them together. I didn’t feel like I fit in,” she said. “I felt lost and not wanted.”

She finished her last three years at Trenton High School where she thrived. She liked all her courses but was especially good at typing.

“When I was a junior, Aryann Crawford (no relation), was my typing teacher. Just a few days before school was out, she said that Don McVay, owner of McVay Motor Company, was looking for someone as a summer secretary. She suggested I interview for the job. I was scared and nervous,” she said. “Mr. McVay asked me if I could spell and I said yes and that if I didn’t know a word, I would look it up in the dictionary.”

She got the job and that summer she started a long career in business and administrative service. She worked seven hours on weekdays and three hours on Saturday. I got $25 twice a month. “It was a big income,” she said. “I felt rich.”

She went back to high school in the fall. Soon after school began, she got a call from Central Farm Products (what many in Trenton called the Milk Plant). They wanted her to work for them after school and on Saturdays. They told her if all went well, she could continue full time in the summer. She said her dad went with her for the interview. “This was my most embarrassing moment,” Mary Lou said. “Because he didn’t know Eddie Kundson, he wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t take advantage of me.” She was happy when she got the job.

In 1943 she graduated from Trenton High School and continued her work at Central Farm Products full time. “That’s where I learned all of my good points of working in an office and with the public,” she stated. “I give credit to Helen Walsh for being such a good mentor.”

Family and Career

Mary Lou met the love of her life when she was a sophomore in high school. Gene Crawford was a handsome and interesting guy but they didn’t really get to know each other until later. It turns out that Gene’s Dad, Sublet Crawford, owned a threshing machine. The practice then was someone would buy a threshing machine which was used to separate the grain seeds from the husks and stalks for certain crops. A thresher was very expensive in those days so a farmer would hire the thresher machine owner. The Pews hired Sublet Crawford to thresh their grain and he brought along three of his boys to help. One of them was Gene.

Part of the practice was the host farm, made two meals a day for the threshers. Mary Lou helped her mom prepare meals for the team. She was able to really get to know Gene during those meals. Mary Lou said it wasn’t very long before he asked her on a date. The two married in 1946.

Mary Lou and Gene had only been married for about two weeks when Gene joined the Army. He served in Korea as a heavy machinery mechanic. After 17 months in the service, Gene came back to Trenton and Mary Lou.

Gene returned and they began their life together. Settling into 1950s married life was a time of prosperity for the United States and Trenton. The couple had four children, Linda, Trish, Alan and Randall. Mary Lou worked as seasonal help at Federal Land Bank and also filled in for long periods of time when people were out due to illness. When she wasn’t working, she stayed home with the kids and volunteered at their schools. She was also active at the United Methodist Church. Gene was a mechanic at Brown Motor company and then was parts manager at the Nisbeth-Seidel Chevrolet Dealership. He worked as an MFA adjuster until 1965 when he started the job he would hold most of his life

Gene became a State Farm Agent in Trenton in 1965 and Mary Lou was his assistant.

Gene had been with State Farm only a few weeks when life threw the couple an unexpected event. Gene had a serious heart attack and had to have open heart surgery in Kansas City. While he was recovering, Mary Lou kept his office open. In a short time, she was required to get an insurance license. She studied hard and attended insurance classes to prepare her for the test. She received her license to write auto, fire, general and life insurance. At last, Gene recovered and came back to the office.

They continued to work together at State Farm until Gene passed away in 1987 from another heart attack. At the time of his death, Mary Lou left State Farm. Throughout her life Mary Lou held a number of other administrative jobs including, secretary at the Christian Church and as a fill in receptionist at Whitaker Eads Funeral home.

Service to Trenton

Mary Lou has volunteered throughout her life and continues to volunteer her time today. She is passionate about her community and has served Trenton well. She has worked at the Rock Barn during the North Central Missouri Fair, first in the Youth Department beginning in 1957. She transitioned to the Senior Department and continued to work there until last year. She has volunteered at the Grundy County Food Pantry since 2010 and continues today.

She has served her community through a number of organizations as well. She was the secretary of the State Church Women United board for many years. She served in all executive positions on the Grundy County Learning Center board from 1993 until it closed in 2021. While at the University of Missouri Extension Center she taught adult sewing. She was a member, an officer and a past president of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority beginning in 1945. Since 1943 she has attended the Wesley United Methodist Church, becoming a member in 1955. Her service to the church includes being president of the administrative council, teaching Sunday School, and serving on numerous committees.

In 2015, the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce recognized her as a Pillar of the Community. They honored her for her outstanding service and contributions to the community.

Serving her community is very important to Mary Lou. She said that she is proud of Trenton and the strides the community has made. “I think Trenton has great things to offer. I’m so proud of our growing NCMC, our North Central Missouri Fair and our Missouri Days celebration,” she said. “I think we have one of the best little-town museums that there is. I have long-standing friends that mean so much to me.”

Mary Lou has spent a lifetime loving her family and her community. She is always busy and has excelled in her retirement. She explained, “I’m a great believer in family life. I’ve established so many annual traditions that my children and grandchildren have helped me carry on. I think that it’s important that parents find time to spend with their children.”

So, what’s her secret to living this long? Does she do something special? She says her long life harkens back to what she learned in her early days. “I have grown up with no sprays for crops, no commercial fertilizer, no preservatives, no hard drinks and no smoking because we always got our food from the farm,” she explained. “I’m still gardening and freezing and canning some of my food.”

“I’ve had an extra good life,” she said. “I count my blessings daily.” One of her greatest blessings is her large family — four children, 10 grandchildren (Michael and Holly have sadly passed away), 20 great grandchildren and one great, great grandson. She reminds people to be grateful for the life you have. Mary Lou leaves readers with this wish, “Be gentle and kind and never hold a grudge.”

Invitation to the People of Grundy County

The Crawford family invites the people of Grundy County to join them in honoring Mary Lou Crawford’s 100th birthday at an open house on November 29, from two to four pm, at the fellowship hall of the Christian Church in Trenton. Mary Lou hopes to see many old friends and colleagues and to add to her treasure trove of wonderful stories. The family requests no gifts please.