Mae Karleen Crockett (1919-2018

CROCKETT, BURCH, WHEELER

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 17:43:30

Obituary for Mae Karleen Crockett
Mae Karleen Crockett, 98, formerly of Clinton, Iowa, passed away peacefully on May 4, 2018, at Sunrise Senior Living, in Boulder, Colorado. Karleen was the beloved wife of Dale Rees Crockett, who passed away in 2014 after 66 years of marriage.
Dale and Karleen met during World War II at a dance in Washington, D.C. They fell in love and were married on June 15th, 1947, in Fulton, Mississippi.
When the two first met, Dale was an MP in the Army, and Karleen worked for the Army Signal Corps. She was sworn to secrecy in this position supporting the war effort. Karleen kept true to this vow her entire life, never telling even Dale about the nature of her work with the Signal Corps.
Karleen led an active and service-oriented life. She served as PTA president, and for years she was a Cub Scouts leader. She and Dale were steadfast members of the First Baptist Church, where Karleen sang in the choir and served on numerous committees throughout the years.
As a child in Mississippi, Karleen grew up appreciating family and the many gifts that come from living on a farm. A precocious child at times, Karleen was loved by her parents and her siblings. She recalled with laughter one of her earliest memories, when at the age of three she decided to smoke a “cigarette.” Her version of a cigarette involved a small rolled up piece of paper held up to the flames in the family fireplace. Karleen remembered calling out to her mother, Valera, who was working in the next room, “Mama, are you coming in here?” Valera said she was not, although she changed her mind some seconds later when little Karleen asked once again, “Mama, are you sure you’re not coming in here?” Yes, Karleen was caught red-handed, although thankfully that hand wasn’t yet burned.
Nevertheless, Karleen learned her lesson. Nearly a century later, she would remark that her lifelong avoidance of tobacco as well as alcohol allowed her to live to such a ripe old age.
Karleen received her teaching degree from Mississippi State College for Women, as it was called at that time. While money was tight due to the Depression, siblings and other relatives helped each other as they could. Karleen earned her degree at a time when it was not nearly as common for women to attend college as it is today. Her parents and the older siblings instilled a love of learning and an expectation that both the women and the men in the family could reach their full potential.
Musical expression was important in Karleen’s family of origin, and she brought her impressive musical talent to her life in Clinton with Dale and her children. Karleen loved to sing, and even though she never learned to read modern sheet music, she could hear a song and recreate it beautifully on the piano.
Karleen also enjoyed gardening. An expert seamstress, she made wedding dresses worn by daughters Nan, Karla, and daughter-in-law Marla. She even tailored a suit for son Gary when it was challenging for him to get a good fit given his 6’6” height.
Born on July 21, 1919, in Fulton, Mississippi, Karleen was one of nine children born to Thomas and Valera Burch. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Leeman Burch, Grady Burch, Ruby Burch, Nelson Burch, Varnelle (Burch) Davis, and Evelyn (Burch) West. Surviving Karleen are siblings Thomas Burch and Ann (Burch) Wheeler, as well as Karleen and Dale’s four children and nine grandchildren. Their children include Gary (Marla) Crockett, Bryan (Pamela) Crockett, Nan (Dan) Valentine, and Karla (Randy) Scholfield. Karleen’s grandchildren include Emily (fiancé Dante Atkins) Crockett, Jeffrey Crockett, Joseph (Sarah Heady) Crockett, Rebecca Crockett, Rosemary Crockett, Dylan Rutter, Thomas Rutter, Connor Scholfield, and Anna Scholfield.
We will celebrate Karleen’s rich life in a memorial service at First Baptist Church, 2020 N. 3rd St., in Clinton, Iowa 52732, at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 29. Interment will follow immediately after the service, at Clinton Lawn Cemetery. Clinton’s Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed by visiting Karleen’s obituary at www.snellzornig.com.
In lieu of flowers, Karleen’s children ask that memorials be directed to First Baptist Church, care of Pastor Ron Lott.