Barbara Ann Sasser Crawford

Barbara Ann Sasser Crawford, 71, of 1472 Pikeville/Princeton Road, died peacefully at her home on Wednesday, September 10, 2003 after a valiant struggle with cancer. Barbara was born on November 16, 1931 to Laulas Worrell Sasser and the late Walter Franklin Sasser and was reared in the Patetown community of Wayne County. She graduated from Pikeville High School in 1949 and received her B.S. degree from East Carolina College (now East Carolina University) in 1952.

Upon her marriage to Ivey Jonathan Crawford, Jr. on June 12, 1953, the couple lived in the Pleasant Grove community where they continued to make their home. They recently observed their fiftieth wedding anniversary.

Barbara taught school, primarily at Pikeville Elementary School, for thirty-three years. Her career in education was recognized by the Wayne County Board of Education in 1987 upon her retirement. Also the Mayor of Pikeville recognized her with a good citizenship award for her service to the Pikeville community.

Her professional memberships included the North Carolina Association of Educators and Alpha Gamma Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority. She recently was presented a twenty-five year Silver Sister pin and certificate by her sorority, an international sorority honoring outstanding women educators.

After retiring, Barbara volunteered in the “Read to Succeed” program at Northwest School. In August of 2000, she was presented The Governor’s Volunteer Award for her dedicated service to the Wayne County Meals on Wheels program.

She was a former member of the Pikeville Garden Club and the Home and Heart Club (Extension and Community Association).

Barbara was a member of Pleasant Grove Free Will Baptist Church where she taught in the primary department for twenty- five years. At the time of her death, she was a member of the Lancaster/Bryan/Talton Sunday School Class.

Survivors, in addition to her mother, include her devoted husband of fifty years, I. J.; a daughter, Olivia Crawford Collini and husband, Charles Weaver Collini of Wadesboro; a son, Lloyd William Crawford of Pikeville; two granddaughters Meredith Ann Cooke of Raleigh and Beverly Faye Crawford of Pikeville; a beloved sister, Lillie Sasser Jones; a brother, Cordell Franklin Sasser.

She was preceded in death by her father Walter F. Sasser and a brother, Clawson Jimmy Sasser.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, at Pleasant Grove Free Will Baptist Church with the Reverend Dr. Jerry V. Stephenson and Reverend Alvin Keener officiating. Immediately following the service there will be a luncheon reception for all in attendance in the fellowship hall of the church. At this time the family will receive friends. A private burial will be in the Pikeville Cemetery.

Seymour Funeral Home in Goldsboro is in charge of arrangements for the family. The family requests in lieu of flowers that memorials be directed to Pleasant Grove Free Will Baptist Church, 1100 Pikeville/Princeton Road, Pikeville, NC 27863 or to the Free Will Baptist Children’s Home, P.O. Box 249, Middlesex, NC 27557-0249.

The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Dr. Paul Kelly Marcom, the nurses and staff in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Duke Medical Center.