Dic I Craven, age 96 of Hastings, MI went to be with his Lord on December 9, 2022.
Dic was born May 14 th , 1926, the first child of Russel and Irene Kaiser Craven. Dic
attended school in Hastings. On September 4, 1948, Dic was united in marriage to
Alice Hanford at the Free Methodist parsonage in Big Rapids, MI. They celebrated
68 years of marriage before her passing in January 2017.
Dic grew up on the homestead where he lived his entire life, moving only once,
across the driveway to the home Dic and Alice built using timber from the
homestead. He was a very passionate woodsman. He was most at peace in the
woods. He could tell you the kind of tree most every leaf came from, helping many
students with their fall school projects. He cut down trees, making them into boards
with his small sawmill and cutting thousands of cords of wood in his lifetime. His
cords were perfectly stacked, and each piece of wood was perfectly measured and
cut. He was somewhat of a perfectionist like that. Dic was also a longtime crane
operator beginning with the Baldwin brothers in the late 1940’s and then later with
the Barry County Road Commission serving 26 years until his retirement in 1988.
Dic and Alice were longtime members of the Hastings Free Methodist Church. They
served in many capacities, wanting to do their part for the kingdom of God. They
also cared for many foster children and took in many family members over the
years. They were passionate in helping others with food from the garden or
firewood from the woods, serving others however they could. They were also
passionate supporters of the Free Methodist missionaries their entire married lives.
After retirement, Dic and Alice did some traveling, traveled to nearly all of the 50
states including Alaska and Hawaii as well as overseas to Central and South
America.
Dic will be deeply missed by his children, John (Marlene) Craven and Patricia (Rev.
Garry) Cruce of Hastings, Debra Mills of Austin, TX, Robert (Leslie) Craven of Fair
Haven, MI; 13 grandchildren, Martha (Scott) Chipman, Melissa (Chris) MacCreery,
Mary Craven, Sarah Cruce, Rebecca Gorbena, Ivan (Molly) Mills, Joshua (Danita)
Orsborn, Kevin, Brandon, Jacob (Miranda), Trevor, Liliana and Nicholas Craven; 11
great-grandchildren, sibling Lawson (Linda) Craven; and many nieces and nephews.
Dic was preceded in death by his wife, parents; siblings Doris Lumbert, and Rose
(Bud) Hale; and son-in-law Gaylord Mills.
The family would like to give a special thank you to Flower House of Nashville, MI,
for four years of their wonderful care and comfort to Dad and to us. Also, a special
thank you to Hospice of Lansing for their care and comfort this last year.
A celebration of Dic’s life will be celebrated on Friday, December 16th at 11 a.m. at
the Hastings Free Methodist church, 2635 N. M-43 Hwy. Services will be preceded
by a visitation at 10 a.m. Attendees are invited to honor Dic’s life by wearing relaxed
attire of plaid flannel shirts with jeans.
Memorial contributions in memory of Dic Craven may be made to Southwest
Michigan Land Conservancy or a tree planted in his honor.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Daniels Funeral Home-Hastings, conveniently located at 1401 North Broadway, Hastings, MI. For further details please visit our website at www.danielsfuneralhome.net.
