Winfred Donald (Don) Crank

Winfred Donald Crank (Don) passed away Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012. He was born at home on "The Hodge Place" in Stoddard County near Puxico, Mo. on April 11, 1932 to the late John Clifton and Luda Harty Crank. He was predeceased by his parents; two brothers, (John ((Jr)) Raymond and Jim ((Eldon)); and four sisters (Jeanette, Lorene, Betty, Shirley). Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Robin and William Coleman and their children, Nathan, Aaron, and Claire of Redwood City, Calif.; a son, Christopher and his children Jordan and Jonathan of Greenbrier, Ark.; two brothers, Floyd of Rockford, Ill., and Robert (wife Reta) Crank of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and one sister, Carolyn (husband Gordon) Martin of Wentzville, Mo. Mr. Crank's first eight years of public schooling were at Page School, a one-room rural school with eight grades. He attended Puxico High School (1945-1949) and graduated from Southeast Missouri State College at Cape Girardeau, Mo. in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with majors in business education and English. He taught school for one year at Mangrum School (also a one-room school that housed grades one through eight) and later taught a semester at Puxico High School before entering the U. S. Army in 1954 and serving two years at Fort Chaffee, Ark. Upon discharge from the army in 1956, he joined Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and worked 25 years in both sales and management. Upon retirement from Metropolitan Life, he became self-employed within the insurance and financial service field. He served as president of the Hot Springs Life Underwriters Association, secretary of the Arkansas State Life Underwriters Association, music and youth director of Oaklawn United Methodist church of Hot Springs, treasurer of the Hot Springs Music Club, president of the Arkansas Native Plant Society, He is a member of the Arkansas Native Plant Society and Missouri Native Plant Society. A memorial service will be held in Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens, 550 Arkridge Road in Hot Springs, Ark., on Friday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. A visitation will be held at Blanchard Funeral Home in Sikeston, Mo., on Monday, Nov. 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. Graveside services will follow at 4 p.m. at Rock Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to: "The Flora of Arkansas Project" Johnnie Gentry, Curator, University of Arkansas Herbarium Biomass Research Center 139, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701. Arrangements are by Griffin Leggett Funeral Home, 1751 Dave Ward Drive, Conway. Mr. Crank's online guestbook is available at www.griffinleggettconway.com.