Evelyn M. Craig

Mrs. Evelyn Meerbott Craig of St. Cloud, Florida passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family, on June 24, 2016. She was 95 years old. Evelyn is survived by her two children: Mrs. Gail Craig Krempel of Severn, MD, and Dr. Dawn Craig Hill of St. Cloud, FL. Her three grandchildren include Craig S. Craig of Belmont, MA; Keith A. Krempel of Columbia, MD, and Michelle C. Loutfi of Vero Beach, FL. She has five great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, US Army Command Sergeant Major William A. Craig of Philadelphia, PA, son US Army Captain Charles A. Craig, and brother US Army Captain Walter Meerbott. Evelyn was born on March 29, 1921 in Jamaica, Borough of Queens, New York City, to Charles and Elizabeth Meerbott. She was a graduate of Newtown High School in Elmhrst, NY. She met her future husband, Bill Craig – then a young Army Private – in the mid-1930s as teenage roller skating partners. They corresponded throughout World War II and were married in 1949 when Bill had attained the rank of Sergeant First Class. During her husband’s 35 year military career, the couple moved to several Army posts in the United States, Germany, and Korea. Their daughter Gail was born in Nurnberg, Germany, in 1955 and daughter Dawn in Ft Riley, Kansas in 1956. The Craigs settled in St. Cloud, FL, in 1975 and had been married for 49 years when Bill passed in 1998. As the wife of one of the United States Army’s first Command Sergeants Major, Evelyn was the President of the Senior Noncommissioned Officers Club at multiple military installations over two decades. She was a lifelong member and Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Start of the Freemasons. Evelyn served as a school room mother, Cub Scout Den Mother, and a Girl Scout Troop Leader for her children at several locations. She was an Assistant Manager for the Army-Air Force Exchange Service and the Naval Exchange at the Orlando Naval Station. In later life, she was a member of the Red Hat Society and a beloved frequent visitor at the St Cloud Senior Center, affectionately known to all as “Tinkerbell.” A memorial service is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, at Fisk Funeral Home, 1107 Massachusetts Ave, in St. Cloud. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Evelyn’s life. Donations in Mrs. Craig’s name can be made to the Salesian Missionaries, 2 Lefevre Ln, New Rochelle, NY. Evelyn will eventually be interred for final rest alongside her husband Bill at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.

Evelyn M. Craig

March 29, 1921 - June 24, 2016