Extracted from The Diboll Free Press (Diboll, TX)
Sunday, June 18, 2006

HAROLD DOUGLAS CRAGER

Memorial services for Harold Douglas Crager, 76 of Diboll, will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, June 20, 2006, in the Gipson-Metcalf Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend C.G. ``Buster'' Grigg officiating. Masonic services will be under the auspices of the Burke Masonic Lodge #833, A.F. & A.M.

Harold Douglas Crager was born on Oct. 6, 1929. He died on Friday, June 16, 2006, at the Pinecrest Retirement Community in Lufkin. Mr. Crager was the oldest son of Douglas Edward and Marice Crager, and was born in the Burke Community. He married Billie Jeanne Kizer on March 6, 1949. He served in the United States Air Force for 23 years, and was stationed in numerous places in the world, serving a tour in Vietnam in 1966 to 1967.For several years after retirement from the Air Force, he was in the trucking/transportation business. In 1979, he and Jeanne moved back to the Burke/Diboll area, and he built a home near the old Crager homeplace.

In 1981, he was appointed by the Angelina County Commissioners' Court as Justice of the Peace for Precinct 5. He served in this capacity for 19 years until December of 2000. He truly loved holding the office of Justice of the Peace, and became very loved and respected in Angelina County. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for 45 years.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Billie Jeanne Kizer Crager of Lufkin; daughter and son-in-law, Esther and Bob Barger of Diboll; daughter, Sharon Elaine Harrison of San Antonio; son, Lance Crager of San Antonio; grandson, Christian Barger and wife, Tracy, of Houston; granddaughter, Robin Barger Richardson and husband, Michael, of Plano; grandsons, David and Dustin Harrison of San Antonio, Brian and Bradley Crager of Columbus, Georgia; great granddaughters, Jacqulyn Richardson and Bailey Barger; great grandsons, Samuel Richardson and Jackson Barger; sister-in-law, Wilma Rector; and very special friend, Jerry Gaines.

Mr. Crager was preceded in death by his father, Douglas Crager; his mother, Marice Crager; and his brother, Carroll Edward Crager.

Private interment will be at the Garden of Memories Memorial Park in Lufkin. Memorials may be made to The History Center, 102 N. Temple Dr., Diboll, Texas 75941. Gipson-Metcalf Funeral Directors; Todd Stracener, director.