Amarillo Globe-News, June 16, 2004

Crawford Kiker - Canyon, Texas

Crawford Kiker, 85, of Canyon died Monday, June 14, 2004, in Amarillo.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in First Baptist Church with David Lowrie officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery by Brooks Funeral Directors.

Mr. Kiker was born May 8, 1919, to Ada and Schley Kiker on their farm eight miles southwest of Happy. He graduated from Tulia High School in 1926 and from West Texas Teachers College in 1940. During college he lived at the College Farm, where he was the chief cook for the 50 young men who lived there. He earned extra money by ironing their shirts and was proud of the fact that he could iron eight shirts an hour. After graduating from college he taught school in Sunray. He enlisted in the Air Corp in 1942 and was a veteran of World War II. He was a retired MSGT of the Air Force Reserves. During his later years he often became emotional when remembering that he was one of the members of the military who unknowingly prepared the aircraft Enola Gay for dropping the bomb on Hiroshima.

Mr. Kiker married Ferne Byars of Canyon on Oct. 22, 1948. During the first years of their marriage he worked at Boeing Aircraft in Seattle. Having moved his family back to Texas in 1950, he taught veteran vocational agriculture in Dimmitt until 1953. From 1953 to 1963, he was a technical writer for the Amarillo Air Force Base. From 1963 to 1976, he worked at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft in California as a human biofactors engineer. He was extremely proud to have worked on the early space programs. Mr. Kiker also worked as a weights and balances engineer for Bell Helicopter in both Amarillo and Phoenix.

He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge and served as their secretary until 2004, and was also a 50-year member of the Scottish Rite. Mr. Kiker was a member of the York Rite, Kiva Shrine, Canyon Lions Club, and First Baptist Church of Canyon.

He was an avid supporter of the Buffalo Club and attended WTAMU sporting events as often as possible. He was a wonderful "Daddy" and a fantastic grandfather and great grandfather. His smiling face and sense of humor will be missed by many.

He was preceded in death by his wife.

Survivors include two brothers, Weldon Kiker of Amarillo and Cecil Kiker of Carrollton; a sister, Mary Ella Robertson of Ballinger; two daughters, Frances Berry and Lorry Parker, both of Canyon; three grandsons, Brent Berry, Casey Berry and Todd Bradshaw, all of Canyon; and a great-grandson, Colton Berry.

The family suggests memorials be to Canyon City Masonic Lodge Scholarship Fund in care of Lamont Waldrip; BSA Hospice; or Olivia's Angels.