Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Reverend David Clifford Crabtree, 1932-2014


In memory of my first cousin, Reverend David Crabtree, son of another minister, my Uncle Clifford Crabtree (1903-1981).

Notice from the Church of All Nations, Boca Raton, Florida, March 2014.http://bocachurch.com/web/node/730, accessed 25 Mar 2014:

"On behalf of Church of All Nations, our church family extends its deepest condolences to the Crabtree and Boykin family on the peaceful departure of Rev. David Crabtree, who went to be with the Lord on Monday, March 24 at 1:35 pm.

The family wishes to express their appreciation for the prayers and expressions of love and support over the past several weeks.

A funeral service will be held this coming Sunday, March 30, in the main sanctuary of Church of All Nations at 3:00 pm.

Please keep both families in your prayers."


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Obituary:


Rev. David Crabtree

Rev. David Crabtree
CRABTREE, DAVID - Rev. David Clifford Crabtree, born May 22, 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, finished his course March, 24, 2014. 
He is survived by Dawn, his wife of fifty-nine years, his sister Hazel Hoskins of Hillsboro, FL, a brother, Charles Crabtree of Roseville, CA, sister, Charlotte Carlson of Redding, CA, daughters, Susan Crabtree of Fresno, CA, and Beth Boykin of Boca Raton, FL, a son, David Crabtree of Greensboro, NC, and grandchildren, Ashley Jefferson, Lauren Smith, Lindsay Crabtree, Jennifer Boykin, Daniel Boykin, Susan Boykin, and great-grandchildren, David, Keegan, and Brooklyn Jefferson of Greensboro, NC. Rev. Crabtree led four congregations in Saint John, NB, Des Moines, IA, and Worcester, MA, in a preaching ministry that spanned more than fifty years. He was renowned for his preaching gift and his love of people. 
His life will be celebrated in a special remembrance at Church of All Nations, 1300 NW 4th Ave, Boca Raton, on Sunday, March 30 at 3:00 p.m. Memorial considerations can be directed to HopeRide 2014 at www.razoo.com/story/Hope-Ride-14, or to the work of One Hope at www.hopenet.net. Funeral Services provided by Glick Family Funeral Home, Boca Raton.

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The funeral bulletin: Go to this page to download the funeral bulletin, which contains a beautiful tribute to David from his granddaughter: http://bocachurch.com/web/node/731

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March 30, 3014: David's wife, Dawn McClure Crabtree, posted on her Facebook page this description of the wake:

"BOCA POST: A wonderful WAKE yesterday for our family and close friends...We saw him...and we cried....We talked and shared stories and laughed and cried some more. As I looked around that beautiful room I thought....NO ONE WOULD ENJOY THIS MORE THAN DAVID CRABTREE. He would have been in his 'element'.
We enjoyed a lovely buffet at Mark and Beth's house...more sharing and laughter & tears. Now today we honor his life in a Celebration of HIM. Thanks to all of my FB friends for your loving prayers and support of our family through all of this.
Today we celebrate David for the loving gifted gentleman he was. He now resides in heaven...wouldn't come back if he could... With his gregarious personality...he will have been around heaven a few times...(maybe a run)..and welcomed others who are arriving there......There was a smile as he left us.
"David, Look for me...for I will be there too"...We'll share our eternal life worshipping the ONE we have served and loved."

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The funeral was broadcast live at 3:00 PM EST on Sunday, March 30. You can see the video here: www.coanboca.com/web/watch-live .




embeddable family tree updated live from WikiTree

4 comments:

  1. How many ministers have you discovered in Mother's family? Have you noticed many ministers in other families you've come across in your genealogy odyssey? Just curious about whether we used to be a more religious country than we are now. Or is it regional, do you think?

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    1. I asked Patricia Parkhurst Gee Pickard about your question, and this was her reply:


      The Holiness movement was very strong in New England. And the people clung to their religious upbringing. No, it was not just the Crabtrees....it was anyone who valued their Christian heritage. Many of the "holiness" folk attended Baptist churches, and when Pentecost came in 1917 through the Aimee Semple McPherson Gospel tent revival in Washburn, Maine, hundreds joined the Pentecostal movement, both from Maine and from the Maritimes.

      The Crabtree people came from VERY GOOD STOCK, and descendants are devout and dedicated to God. They are well educated and very talented. God has blessed this line because a young man (Clifford) left the farm in Easton and struck out with very few dollars in his pocket, but he obeyed God's call. Clifford married another one from good stock. Helen's father practically disowned her when she came into Pentecost, and married "beneath her," (so he felt). It was a wealthy family, but Helen got very little in inheritance--a mere pittance. However, they do not put premium on wealth--that is not where their values lie, although God has blessed to be able to have "a good life."


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  2. Mother's family has generation after generation of preachers, many times with sons following their fathers into the ministry. Our grandfather, a farmer, was also a Sunday School superintendent at the nearby Baptist church. His family always went to church and it was very central to all of their lives. Our cousin, Rev. David C. Crabtree (above), was both the brother and the son of preachers, and his sister Hazel married a former child preacher and they travel the world distributing her husband's "Book of Hope." David's father, our Uncle Clifford, established the Pentecostal church (now called Glad Tidings) in Bangor, and David's brother, Charles, who has a doctorate in divinity, became an official in the General Council of the Assemblies of God and was the president of Zion Bible College. I can see I have some more posts to write!

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  3. I wasn't aware my cousin, Susan Crabtree, lives in Fresno!!! That's just up the road a piece from where I am. If there's a way for me to contact her, I will.

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