Notes
Note N370 Index
E. W. Crutcher and his wife Sarah E. are listed in 1900, Crooked Creek, Malheur County, Oregon Census, enumerated June 11, 1900. His name is listed as Elliott W., head of the household age 62, Sarah's age is 61, both born in Missouri. Also listed is E. W.'s daughter Anna E Crutcher (Derby) born March 1868 in Utah and her two daughters, Maud July 1891, Nevada and Clara E Derby December 1894 Nevada. Sarah is listed as the mother of 4 with 3 still living.
E. W. Crutcher and his wife Sarah Elizabeth are listed in 1910, Woodland, Yolo County, California Census, enumerated April 18, 1910. His name is listed as Elliott W., head of the household age 71, Sarah's age is 70, both born in Missouri. Both on marriage #1 for 50 Years and both born in Missouri. Sarah is listed as the mother of 4 with 2 still living.
E. W. Crutcher and his wife Sarah Elizabeth. are listed in 1920, Woodland, Yolo County, California Census, enumerated January 14, 1920. His name is listed as Elliott W., head of the household age 82, Sarah's age is 80, both born in Missouri.
Notes
Note N372 Index
Name listed as Georgia or Georgia V. on:
1920 Census
California Death Index
Social Security Death Index
Name listed as Virginia or Virginia G. on:
1900, 1910, 1930 Federal Census
Leland's WW II registration
Wedding announcement
Notes
Note N373 Index
In the 1900 Census his middle initial looks like an "H"; however, on Glen's WWI draft card his middle name is listed as Elliott.
Notes
Note N374 Index
Obituary for Harold Lee Crutcher
The Asheville Citizen-Times
Asheville, North Carolina
June 17, 2007
Asheville - Harold L. Crutcher, Ph.D., concluded his final trip around the sun during his 94th revolution on June 11, 2007. He was a resident of BrooksHowell Home in Asheville, N.C.
Harold Lee Crutcher, born November 18, 1913, in Cheraw, CO, was the son of the late Cortez Lee and Beatrice Wright Crutcher. Clarice Alsager Crutcher, his wife of 56 years, preceded him in death in 1999. He is survived by daughters, Sharron Lee Gebhardt of Golden, CO and Carol C. Mott and her husband, William W. Mott, Jr. of Fairview, NC. In addition, he leaves four grandchildren, Gregory R. E. Gebhardt and his wife Dawnell of Phoenix, AZ, Cynthia Lee McCown and her husband, Brent of Silver Spring, MD, Ryan A. Mott of Cashiers, NC and Christopher D. Mott, and his fiancee, DeLain Morgan of Lakewood, CO, and one step-granddaughter, Valerie Mallinson and husband Stephen of Seattle WA. He leaves one great-grandson, Ronan Lee McCown, and several dear nephews and nieces. Also preceding him in death were his sister Vivian Crutcher Gibson, Durant, OK, his brother William Allen Crutcher, Grand Lake, CO and his son-in-law Richard F. Gebhardt, Golden, CO.
Dr. Crutcher's parents worked for the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs as career teachers and school administrators. In addition, they were independent family farmers and stockmen. During his childhood, he lived in various areas of the US including several Indian Reservations including Lakota (Sioux) and Kiowa, as well as in Durant, OK where his father was an Indian Agent for the Five Civilized Tribes of Eastern Oklahoma. Two major goals his father put before him were to strive for a college degree and to be a teacher.
Dr. Crutcher attained two bachelor's degrees and a year's post-graduate study in the Oklahoma University system majoring in Latin Languages, Mathematics, Statistics, Education, Physics, Psychology, and Physical Chemistry with minors in Instrumental Music, Physical Education, Manual Arts and Library Science. He achieved his Master's Degree (1951) and a Ph.D. (1960) in meteorology from New York University. He learned and spoke Native American languages such as Lakota, Kiowa and Quechua. In addition, he mastered Spanish, German, and French through education and travel. After retirement, he and his wife studied Russian during the time of the Cold War.
He served in the Oklahoma National Guard and Army Air Corps, 1931 1940, and taught four years in the Oklahoma Secondary School system before joining the US Weather Bureau in 1939. He continued to correspond with some of his former students through letters and phone calls until his death. During and after World War II, while in the Weather Bureau Service, he served on ship and land throughout the Caribbean, the entire North Atlantic, Mexico, Central America and northern and western South America, primarily Peru. He and his wife, Clarice, were married in Mexico City and traveled extensively throughout their married life. He was a representative of the US Weather Bureau to the Mexican Government through the American Embassy from 1942 1945. He was also a member of the Civil Aviation Mission to Peru from 1947 1950. He was involved in the establishment of the National Weather Records Center, now known as the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville. While living in Asheville, he was an adjunct professor at UNCA, an adjunct professor in Statistics and Chemistry at NC State University, and a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He served as the Chief Science Advisor for the National Climatic Data Center at the time of his 1977 retirement. After retirement, he consulted internationally for weather (meteorology, climatology, and hydrology) and for numerous quality projects as a registered certified independent quality consulting engineer. He has hundreds of technical and professional publications to his credit including scientific leadership for the US Navy's Marine Climatic Atlas of the World Program, affording military planners and scientists the most comprehensive marine atlas ever developed. As an out-growth of this work, he later developed an upper air climatic atlas series for the northern hemisphere, and was the catalyst in developing the first allinclusive upper air climatic atlas for the southern hemisphere. He worked closely with NASA in the determination of space vehicle design criteria, optimum launch and recovery sites as definition and timing of environmental events are critical to space craft launches and recovery. Shortly before his death, his latest technical survey entitled, An Overview of Climatic Elements, was published by NASA and is available in printed and electronic format on the internet (NASA/TP-2007214904). Copies have been sent to more than 30 major universities with meteorological programs. He continued to be an extraordinarily avid reader, especially of scientific journals, until his passing.
During his professional career, he was a Certified Consulting Meteorologist, a Certified Professional Chemist, a Certified Reliability Engineer, and a member of the National Council for Industrial Meteorologists. In addition, he was a Fellow in the American Society for Quality, and the American and North Carolina Institute of Chemists. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society, American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, American Statistical Association, American Atmospheric Pollutions Control Association, and a member of the Royal Meteorological Society, the American Society for Testing Materials, the American and International Water Resources Societies and American Society for Waste Management. He was a member of the Naval Weather Service Association, the US Naval Institute, the US Navy League, and the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Air Force Association. Dr. Crutcher was also a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Association for the Advancement of Research. He received the Department of Commerce Silver Medal in 1962 for extremely competent performance in carrying out highly important Weather Bureau (NOAA) assignments resulting in valuable contributions to the science of meteorology and climatology, and for meritorious authorship in the field of upper air climatology.
He received the Department's Gold Medal in 1970, the highest honor conferred by the Department, for major scientific contributions to national defense, the space Program, NOAA, and the Department of Commerce programs, and the scientific community.
Throughout his life, he was an active member in numerous professional and community organizations. He was a Paul Harris Fellow of the Rotary Club of Asheville, served as the 1976-77 president, and recently marked his 50th year with the club. They recently completed funding of a new student scholarship named in Dr. Crutcher's honor for his lifetime support of education and his dedicated service to Rotary. In addition, he was a past member of the Asheville Chapter of the American Red Cross Board of Directors, and a longtime member of the Toastmasters Clubs in Washington, DC and Asheville. He was an ardent rock hound, hunting diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. He was also an active member of the Amateur Radio Association (KC4EZK) and AARP. He served with the Federal Tax Care for the Elderly Program, assisting in preparing tax returns until 2005. He was also an active member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees (NARFE), and served on the Horticulture Committee of the Western North Carolina Development Association. With his wife, Clarice, he enjoyed raising wildflowers and orchids, and propagating daylilies and achimenes. He was a longtime member of the Men's Garden Club of Asheville, a member of the Men's Garden Club of America, the American and Western North Carolina Orchid Societies, the American Hemerocallis Society, the American Azalea Society, and lifetime member of the Asheville Botanic Gardens and the American Rhododendron Society. He and his wife also participated in the initial establishment of the North Carolina Arboretum. He was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. Dr. Crutcher held numerous offices and served on various committees for the above organizations.
He was an active member of St. Marks Lutheran Church, having served in many capacities for over 40 years, including the church council and, in later years, a member of the Bell Choir. Many of his friends and colleagues will remember him for wisdom, his dry wit, and his sense of humor. His family has been given the opportunity to remember him always as he recently completed a 20-chapter life story with imbedded photographs which he wrote and compiled on his computer during the years after his 90th birthday. Of all his accomplishments in life, that of a beloved grandfather was the one he cherished the most.
The family would like to express sincere thanks to each of his dear friends and colleagues who gave of themselves to enrich his life, keep him active and help him complete his last NASA publication; to his at-home companions; to his special caregivers at Brooks-Howell Home; and especially to the Mountain Area Hospice and St Mark's communities. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to your favorite charity or to St. Mark's Lutheran Church Special Funds (P.O. Box 8608, Asheville NC, 28814).
A memorial service is scheduled on the Summer Solstice on Thursday, June 21, 2007, at 11:00am at St. Mark's Lutheran Church with the Rev. Christopher Webb officiating. Family will receive friends for a coffee reception in the Fellowship Hall an hour prior to the service.
Morris Funeral Home, 304 Merrimon Avenue, is assisting the family. Condolences may be sent through the web site, www.morrisfamilyfuneralhome.com.