Emily Crocker

February 5, 1916 - August 22, 2017

The funeral service for Emily Crocker of rural Verndale, will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 26, at the Verndale Alliance Church, with Emily’s grandson, Pastor Matthew Gordon, presiding. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. and will resume at the church on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. At home and surrounded by family, Emily passed away on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at the rich age of 101. Emily was born one of twelve children, to John August and Katie (Moutush) Erickson on February 5, 1916, at the family home in Leaf River Township, Wadena County, MN. She attended country school, completed the ninth grade in Wadena, and helped on the family farm. On Valentine’s Day in 1934, Emily was united in marriage with Kenneth Floyd Crocker in Wing River Township, MN. Emily devoted her days to her passions of faith and her beloved family; wholeheartedly fulfilling the many tasks that involved. She also enjoyed building friendships with members of the neighborhood Bible Study group, gardening, reading, crocheting, traveling, playing games and cooking. Her family will remember that she canned the best dill pickles in the world! Emily was preceded in death by her husband Kenneth in 1981; parents John and Katie; daughter Kathy Joy Bucknell; brothers Charley, Arthur, George, Elmer and Melvin Erickson; sisters Mary, Eliza, Rose, Barbara, Ethel and Minnie; and daughters-in-law Betty Crocker and Kathleen Crocker. Releasing Emily into the arms of Jesus are her sons John Russell (Mae Marie) Crocker of Palmview, TX, James Luther Crocker of Park Rapids, Jerald Kenneth Crocker of Monticello and Daniel Owen (Michelle) Crocker Motley; daughters Jeannine Mae (Dennis) Gordon of Verndale, Juliene Faye (Roger) Reibling of Sterling Heights, MI and Leola Bell (Randy) Beebe of Gainesville, GA; son-in-law Duey Bucknell of LeRoy, MN; 25 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren; along with numerous friends and neighbors. Serving as casketbearers will be John Crocker Jr, Nathan Crocker, Luke Bubeck, Terry Crocker, Ben Johnson and Paul Mickelsen. Burial will be in the Montrose Cemetery, rural Staples, MN.