Craig Stephens

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Roy Craig Stephens, 86, of Stamford, passed away on August 15, 2009. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, August 18, 2009 at the First Baptist Church in Stamford with Rev. Calvin Gray and Dr. Bruce Lampert officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery in Tuxedo under the direction of Tankersley Funeral Home. The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home on Monday from 5 until 7 p.m.

Craig was born October 21, 1922 in Sylvester, Texas to Robert Paul and Berta Eugene Stephens. He was a lifetime resident of the big country area. He graduated Stamford High School in 1941 and married Helen Pritchard that summer of 1941. He was a farmer, a member of the First Baptist Church in Stamford where he was a deacon for over 50 years, a member of the old Stamford Lions Club and a member of the Veterans’ of Foreign Wars. Craig was a veteran of W. W. II, and was a sergeant and a qualified sharpshooter. He arrived in Hiroshima 2 weeks after the bomb was dropped. He did guard duty there and then was assigned to the duty of cleaning out caves on the islands of Japan for military disarmament.

He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Helen Pritchard Stephens, 3 sons, Ron Stephens and wife Connie of Fredericksburg, Bob Stephens and wife Patsy of Abilene, Keith Stephens and wife Vicki of Stamford, 1 sister, Donna Faye Cooper of Huntington Beach, CA, 9 grandchildren, Dewayne Stephens and wife Theresa of Tuscaloosa, Ala, Scott Stephens and wife Sammie of Casper, Wyoming, Joel Hargus of Austin, Shay Webb and husband Andy of Austin, Bryan Stephens of San Angelo, Jeromy Stephens and wife Karla of Ovalo, Justin Stephens and wife Anna of Gilmer, Josh Stephens and wife Kari of College Station, Jordan Stephens of Nacogdoches, 7 great grandchildren and 2 on the way, numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers that memorials be made to the charity of choice.