Beverly Gertrude Crookes

Beverly Gertrude (Carder) Crookes

On May 12,2023, Beverly left her family and friends to be with our Lord Jesus. Beverly was born June 10, 1937 to Richard and Gertrude (Robinson) Carder in Dowagiac, Michigan. She grew up in Dowagiac and graduated from Dowagiac Union High School in 1955. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Elementary and Special Education from Western Michigan University in 1959.

She loved children and was a wonderful mother, grandmother and youth leader and an extremely caring teacher. She began her teaching career teaching special education in Comstock, Michigan. Then she continued her career teaching 3^rd and 4^th grades at Sister Lakes Elementary School in the Dowagiac Union School district. Additionally, she taught special education for the Calhoun Intermediate School District and then Kindergarten at Washington School (Battle Creek Public Schools) for thirteen years before retiring.

In 1959, Beverly married Francis W. (Frank) Crookes and they are survived by four children, Thomas Richard Crookes (Barbara) of Wadsworth Ohio, Michael Steven Crookes (Vanessa) of Jupiter Florida, David William Crookes (Mary) of Wilmington, North Carolina, Dr. Kathy Crookes Vought (Robert) of Mattawan, Michigan and five grandchildren, Aaron, Justin, Shelby, Bennett, and Sam.   She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Kay Carder Graham (Allan) of Portage, Michigan.    

She and Frank traveled extensively throughout the United States (traveling through all fifty states), Canada, the Caribbean and Europe. During the summers for many years they sailed up and down the coast of Lake Michigan visiting many of the coastal towns along the lake.

She was a member of the Battle Creek Chapter of the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children, the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association.

Beverly was an active member at Westlake Presbyterian Church, teaching in the church school, as a deacon and an elder. She was also a member of the Presbyterian women and the Naomi Ruth Circle.

As a personal service project, Beverly crocheted over 1,000 scarves for elementary school children distributed through the Family Health Center and Grace Health. 

She was both a cub- scout den mother and a girl scout troop leader. In addition, she served as a board member for the Glowing Embers Council of the Girl Scouts. Additionally, she and her scouts took a number of special trips to New York City and the Jersey Shore, Washington D.C. and Toronto, Ontario Canada. Beverly was a life member of the Order of the Eastern Star in Dowagiac, Michigan. In her youth, she held a state office in Rainbow Girls.    

The family will receive friends 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 18^th at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care, Battle Creek.  Funeral services to celebrate Beverly’s life will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 19^th at the Westlake Presbyterian Church, 415 South 28th St. Battle Creek, MI 49015.  A recording of the service may be viewed at https://vimeo.com/828458447/31de819851?share=copy.   Interment services will be held 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 22^nd at Fort Custer National Cemetery.  Memorials may be made to the Westlake Presbyterian Church, The Glowing Embers Girl Scout Council of America, and Kellogg Community College.  Personal messages for the family may be placed here at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.