Fairview Cemetery

Shawnee, Pottatomie County, Oklahoma

© Cooper Funeral Home
Submitted by: Terry Dudley

Ruth Ellen Wilson Craig

September 16, 1954 ~ January 21, 2022

Ruth Ellen (Wilson) Craig was born on September 16, 1954, in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Walter Wesley Wilson and Mary Ellen (White) Wilson. She passed away at her home in Tecumseh, Oklahoma on Friday, January 21, 2022, after a courageous 3 year battle with cancer. Ruth was blessed to live for 67 years.

Ruth grew up on the family farm 10 miles west of Hennessey, Oklahoma. She attended a county school there called Lacy from 1st grade through 8th grade and then transferred to Hennessey High School for her freshman year. She was a 1972 Hennessey High School graduate.

After high school, Ruth attended Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Oklahoma from 1972-1974. It was there at OBU that she met her husband, Mike Craig who as a senior at OBU and already pastoring the Romulus Baptist Church, Macomb, Oklahoma. Mike and Ruth met on October 1, 1973 at OBU and Mike asked Ruth to marry him on December 1, 1973 at the annual "hanging of the Green" celebrating the Christmas season at OBU. Ruth and Mike were married on August 6, 1974, at the First Baptist Church of Hennessey, Oklahoma and have enjoyed over 47 years of happy married life.

Ruth became a Christian at the age of 13 at Falls Creek Baptist Assembly in Davis, Oklahoma. She was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Hennessey, Oklahoma. She has been a member of the Temple Baptist Church, Shawnee, Oklahoma since August 12, 1979.

Although Ruth was attending OBU to become a nurse, she would often say "I don't know what I was thinking!" Because she understood that God's will for her life was to be a pastor's wife and she did become a wonderful homemaker, mother, and pastor's wife!!! She served with her husband at the Romulus Baptist Church, Macomb, Oklahoma; Summit Baptist Church, Wiggins, Colorado; and at Temple Baptist Church, Shawnee, Oklahoma. She served in many capacities at all 3 churches such as Children's Church director, Vacation Bible School director/teacher, Sunday school teacher, Falls Creek/Summit Youth camp sponsor, choir member, pianist and keyboard player.

Ruth enjoyed playing games, going on family vacations, exploring new places, church volleyball and softball, and spending time with friends and family. She was an adventurer and was up for any challenge!

Ruth was preceded in death by her parents, Wesley and Mary Wilson; her father-in-law, H.C. Craig Jr.; her step father-in-law, Oliver Roberts; sister-in-law, Julia Wilson; and 1 son, Scott Henry Craig.

Today she is survived by her husband, Mike Craig of the home; 1 son, Jeremy Wayne Craig of Shawnee, Oklahoma; 1 daughter-in-law, Andrea Clayton Craig of Denver, Colorado; 3 brothers, Jim Wilson and his wife Linda of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Jerry Wilson and His wife Norma of Vermillion, South Dakota and Paul Wilson and his wife Cindy of Eugene, Oregon; mother-in-law, Dorothy Craig of Tecumseh, Oklahoma; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Gary and Adoris Craig of Tecumseh, Oklahoma; sisters-in-law, Sharon Barnett of Tecumseh, Oklahoma and Donna Craig of Harrah, Oklahoma; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and other family member and friends.

Memorials may be made in Ruth's memory to St. Jude's Research Hospital for Children or to the Gideon's International.

Visitation will be 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at Cooper Funeral Home and continue until service time. Service will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, January 27, 2022 at Temple Baptist Church, Shawnee, OK with Brother R.J. Stokes, Brother Dave Stetson, Brother Randy Moore, Brother Tawa Anderson and Brother Andy Hayes officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Shawnee, OK under the direction of Cooper Funeral Home of Tecumseh. Please join the celebration of Ruth's life through Facebook at TBCShawnee for live streaming of the service.