Helen Crager

Helen 'Louise' Cragar, a long-time resident of Northern California, passed away on Friday, August 17th after a very sudden illness. Her cherished family was at her side. She was 67 years old. Louise was born December 2, 1944 in Heber Springs, Arkansas to Imodene Lucile Poyner of Red Bluff, CA and James Melvin Johnson of Grants Pass, OR (deceased). After graduating from Chester High School, she married Marion Cragar to whom she was married for 12 years. Their only son, Jeffrey Thomas Cragar was born in 1974 and currently lives in Jacksonville, FL. Louise was a devoted mother and very special family member. She was the eldest of four siblings that included James Johnson of Hollywood, AL, Rickey Johnson (wife, April) of Red Bluff, CA and Roberta Chase of Davis, CA. Louise was an avid reader, enjoyed bingo and crossword puzzles, and loved southern foods like fried chicken. She volunteered for the literacy program inDavis and she spent many years working at Bank of America (25 years) and Quality Digest Magazine (10 years) where she made many friends. She was a warm, loving, very generous person who family members describe as the 'glue that held the family together' and 'always there when you needed her'. Louise's simple, down-to-earth manner enabled her to easily keep in touch with family far and wide, and her helpful, fun, outgoing personality meant she had many lifelong friends who will miss her very much. The last few years she had spent sharing a home with her sister Roberta and their great bond was a wonderful comfort to Louise. Her favorite cat, Missy, was a constant companion. She is survived by her mother Imodene, her three siblings, her treasured son Jeff and numerous loving family members in both California and Arkansas. They all brought great joy to Louise. There was a private memorial service celebrating her life in Chester, CA on August 24, 2012 Memorial gifts may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Diabetes Association.

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