Ray Craft, 78 of Amoret, Missouri passed away Saturday, September 6, 2025 surrounded by family at his home in Amoret. A visitation will be held from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Thursday, September 11, 2025 at the Virginia United Methodist Church Youth Building. Funeral services will be held 2:00 pm Friday, September 12, 2025, also at the Virginia United Methodist Church Youth Building. Services under the direction of Mullinax Funeral Home, Butler (660-679-0009). Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Ray to the Virginia United Methodist Church or Giving Fore Living. Messages of condolence may be left for the family at www.mullinaxfuneralhome.com.
On Saturday, September 6 at
4:43pm, (Keith) Ray Craft was called upon to put down his earthy tool-belt and
pick up the key to his eternal home.
Apparently, the list of folks requesting his unmatched quality of work was
getting long in God’s house, so Ray went on to make Heaven a more beautiful
place.
Although he spent 78 years
with us, we weren’t ready to let him go. But when it was time for him to leave,
he was surrounded by family in his home, on the farm. It was a fitting farewell to the man who
spent his life working the land, crafting cabinetry, building homes and
carefully curating a beautiful herd of Gelbvieh cattle.
Ray was born on May 30, 1947,
grew up in Amoret with two older brothers, Wayne and Tom on the farm owned by
his parents, Pauline (Thomas) and Kenneth Craft. He attended school at Amoret until he moved
to Miami School in 7th grade.
Sophomore year, Ray and Joy began dating, marrying on June 5th
1964.
In many ways the couple grew
up together, as they built a life with their three children, Debbie, Kelly and
Julie, on their own farm, situated across the gravel road from Kenneth and
Pauline. In his younger years, Ray
worked at Midwest Victorian Marble Plant from 1965 until 1976, when he went to
work for Elmer John Taute as a carpenter.
Clearly Ray found his calling as he spent the rest of his life working
in construction. He was a skilled craftsman with a strong work ethic. Someone once told him that a good carpenter
knew how to cover-up their mistakes. That didn’t set well with Ray. He didn’t
believe in covering up mistakes, he believed in doing things with pride, in the
right way, and if it wasn’t right…there was no covering up…for him the only
option was to fix whatever was wrong properly.
Ray enjoyed hunting, fishing,
camping with his family and working alongside of them doing all manner of tasks
on the farm. In 2003 Ray and Joy became
the proud owners of a quaint cabin on Table Rock Lake near Branson Missouri.
Over the years Ray and Joy spent many wonderful days boating, hunting for flea
market treasures, building new friendships, and tinkering in the yard. Of
course, Ray expanded and improved every aspect of the cabin, creating a truly
special place for he and Joy, their children, grandchildren and now their great
grands.
Ray and Joy both owned their
own businesses and were extremely active members of the Virginia United
Methodist Church where they worked as youth group leaders for many years
together. Ray was still an active member of the Board of Trustees and held the
office of Administrative Board Chair for over 35 years.
Ray Craft was a hard-working
man who was known for his honesty, integrity and above all…his quick wit and
never-ending quest to make others smile through his clever words and well
planned out pranks. One of the valuable legacies he passed on to the younger
generations in his family, was his unique way of allowing humor to strengthen
them through the difficult seasons of life.
Ray’s difficulties have ended
and there’s nothing but laughter for him today, as he builds his eternal home
in glory.
Ray was preceded in death by
his brothers, Wayne and Tom, his parents, Kenneth and Pauline, and one
daughter-in-law, DeAnn. He is survived by his wife, Joy, of the home, his
children; Debbie (husband Gary), Kelly, Julie (husband John), ten grandchildren
and fourteen great grandchildren. Ray felt he was very lucky. He loved the
family related to him by blood…and was blessed by his in-law children and
grandchildren as well.
