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Erden Richard Craven Jr
Mar 30, 1948 - Dec 6, 2020
Posted by Ann Weber
SHAW REDINGER
FUNERAL HOMES
VICI, DEWEY CO, OK
(permission granted)
The family has asked
that the church service be attended by family only.
The public is encouraged to
attend the graveside portion of the funeral service at 11am at the Red Star
Cemetery.
Erden Richard Craven, Jr. of Leedey, OK was born on
March 30, 1948 to Erden Richard Craven, Sr. and Grace Corrine Martin Craven in
Bethany, OK. He moved into his heavenly home on Dec. 6, 2020 from the Covid
unit at Alliance Health Hospital in Woodward, OK at age 72.
Richard grew up in Bethany, attending all 12 years
of school with friends from his small neighborhood; graduating in 1966. He had
many friends, although he would say in later years (only partly in jest) that it
was largely because of his pretty sister. Richard was caring and loyal; If he
had a pleasant acquaintance with you, he considered you his friend. He was a
helper by nature. If he encountered someone who had a need, either he would
find a way to meet it himself, or if that were not possible, he would put that
person in contact with someone else who could.
During his senior year in High School, Richard
became a police dispatcher with the Bethany Police Department. Police work
suited him well, and he went on to spend a combined 17 years with the police
department there and, later, in Scottsdale, AZ. While working as a Detective
with the Scottsdale department, Richard was instrumental in helping to solve a
high-profile murder case in Akron, Ohio which later became the subject of two
books, “The Hunting of Cain” by Dan E. Moldea and “Please Don’t Kill Me” by
William C. Dear and Carlton Stowers.
In 1971, he married Linda Landsberg Bourdon,
welcoming her 6-year-old daughter Kim as his own. A few years later, younger
daughter Rikki was born to them. Richard loved his daughters dearly, and
greatly enjoyed his grandchildren while he lived near them. Sadly, this
marriage ended and Richard later moved back to Oklahoma, having accepted a call
from God into the Ministry. Richard’s particular ministry lay in helping small
churches, so he was often bi-vocational. It was during the next few years that
he would work a second job for a well-known jewelry store in Stillwater, OK.
While employed there, he traveled for several years to Antwerp, Belgium to
choose and buy diamonds for the store. He enjoyed the experience immensely, and
he loved selling diamonds and Rolex watches. It was also during these years that
Richard started a southern gospel singing group called Southern Praise with
friends Steve and Lynda Langford, Gene Hancock and his sister Pat Heath. They
traveled and sang extensively over a three-state area in Sunday evening church
services and for special events.
Some years later, he and Robin Hunter Evans were
married in Fort Supply, OK following a Wednesday evening service, and she became
part of the singing group. She and Richard often talked of how the enjoyment
and love they found in their marriage was how they had always believed marriage
should be. Early in their marriage, they were privileged to spend ten weeks as
interim ministers at the Farewell Avenue Christian Church in Fairbanks, AK.
Following this interim, Richard accepted a call to First Christian Church in
Marianna, AR. They spent 6 happy years ministering there, meeting many dear
friends, and Richard building his handyman business while Robin ran the office
at the local funeral home. During the second year there, they were blessed to
spend a month ministering in small Filipino churches in Hawaii. Four years
later God gave them the gift of spending 10 days on the northeastern coast of
Scotland in a small town called Buckie, ministering in the local Church of
Christ. Richard had learned about this church some years before, and always
felt an attraction to the area.
They moved back from Arkansas to pastor the
Christian Church in Nash, OK in 2012, allowing them to be nearer their widowed
mothers, Grace (still in the family home in Bethany) and Arlene, living in Vici.
Again, they met many wonderful friends who continued
to be part of their lives when they moved to the Leedey community to pastor the
Red Star Brethren in Christ Church in early spring of 2019. In January of 2020,
Richard suffered a stroke which took away much of his musical ability, and on
September 11, a second stroke, which left him deaf and with Wernicke’s Aphasia.
Richard’s love for God, his family, and the ministry never wavered, but his
strong spirit began to wane and when he became ill with Covid on November 29, he
no longer possessed the stamina to defeat it. He left this world at 1:30 a.m.
on December 6, greeting his Lord face-to-face after having loved and served Him
for a lifetime.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents and a
sister who passed away at a very young age.
He leaves behind his beloved wife Robin of the home
at Red Star, his daughters Kim Gifford and husband Ron, and Rikki Waller of
Chandler, AZ; a large group of wonderful grandchildren and great-grandchildren,
much-loved sister Patricia Heath and husband Mike of Warr Acres, Ok; Aunt
Lendell Hamman and husband Merwyn of Bethany, nieces and nephews; and many
friends all over the country.
Richard left a lasting impression on every life he
touched; he will never be forgotten. Memorials may be made to the: Red Star
Brethren in Christ Church c/o Shaw Funeral Home PO Box 276 Vici, OK
73859
Private Funeral Services
Saturday, December 12,
2020
10:00 AM
Red Star Brethern In Christ Church
Leedey, OK 73654
Graveside Service
Saturday, December 12,
2020
11:00 AM
Red Star Cemetery
Leedey, OK 73654
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