Francis Albert Crawford was born to Stephen Leroy Crawford and Alice Myrl Ziegler at the home of his maternal grandparents in Beaver Crossing, Nebraska, but mainly lived in Centerville, Iowa during his short life. Francis was intelligent and strong and like so many young men of his era, joined the United States Air Corps as an officer and fighter pilot in World War II. He participated in and survived many air battles over France and Germany before being felled by a more insidious enemy while on an earned leave in Branson, Missouri. Francis was vacationing in the Ozarks near Branson and was standing in shallow water when he suddenly fell over dead. Although his death was ruled "sudden cardiac arrest", it has been surmised by some family members that he may have fallen victim to a pulmonary embolism caused by the prolonged flight back across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe. However, several family members have also succumbed to a "Widow Maker" event, so determining a cause is only speculation at this point. Francis was survived by his wife Lavelle Talbot Crawford and his infant son Michael Francis Crawford of Centerville, Iowa.
Francis Albert Crawford was born to Stephen Leroy Crawford and Alice Myrl Ziegler at the home of his maternal grandparents in Beaver Crossing, Nebraska, but mainly lived in Centerville, Iowa during his short life. Francis was intelligent and strong and like so many young men of his era, joined the United States Air Corps as an officer and fighter pilot in World War II. He participated in and survived many air battles over France and Germany before being felled by a more insidious enemy while on an earned leave in Branson, Missouri. Francis was vacationing in the Ozarks near Branson and was standing in shallow water when he suddenly fell over dead. Although his death was ruled "sudden cardiac arrest", it has been surmised by some family members that he may have fallen victim to a pulmonary embolism caused by the prolonged flight back across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe. However, several family members have also succumbed to a "Widow Maker" event, so determining a cause is only speculation at this point. Francis was survived by his wife Lavelle Talbot Crawford and his infant son Michael Francis Crawford of Centerville, Iowa.
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