Grace L. Crozier

Grace Lewis Crozier, 93, of Plano, Texas, formerly of Bolivar, died at 10:10 AM Thursday, July 2, 2009, in Dallas, Texas. She was born Aug. 9, 1915, in Gentry County, the daughter of Iva (Lewis) and Frank Wooderson. She was one of eight children. After completing high school, she attended and graduated from Chillicothe Business College and Central Baptist Theological Seminary, completing all the requirements for a master s in religious education, except for the required course taught by Dr. Crozier and the two courses for preaching. She did not want to take the homiletics course, because she did not think women should be preachers. While at Central Seminary, she was secretary to the president, Dr. H.E. Dana, and also served as registrar. After moving to St. Louis, she was the assistant to the dean of the faculty of Arts and Science Department at Washington University, retiring in 1977. She was a descendant of several pioneer families in northwest Missouri and a was a member of the Daughters of American Revolution and the Colonial Dames. Her husband, Dr. Rufus Crozier, was born Oct. 28, 1910, in Cedar County to Samuel Sherman and Viola (Guinn) Crozier, the fourth of seven children. He preceded her in death July 19, 1995. He also was a descendant of several pioneer families in Cedar and Polk counties. He initially attended college as a pre-med student but when he felt the call to preach, he transferred to Southwest Baptist College and graduated in 1931. He then attended William Jewell College and graduated in 1937. While he was attending William Jewell, he took classes at Central Seminary and also graduated from there in 1937. He continued his education, receiving a Th.D. at Central Seminary in 1940 as well as a master s degree in history in 1949 from the University of Kansas City. He was named chairman of the Church History department of Central Seminary upon graduation in 1940, a position he held until 1957 when he and two other seminary professors left for St. Louis to open a center for teaching seminary extension courses. St. Louis Baptist College grew from this, eventually becoming Hannibal LaGrange Junior College Extension Center and finally Missouri Baptist College. Dr. Crozier served as the founding dean and director, as well as a professor of history and religion, fundraiser, cheerleader and whatever else was needed to keep the school going. He donated his personal library to establish the first library for the school. Dr. Crozier retired from Missouri Baptist College in 1979 at which time he was honored for having been affiliated with all of the Baptist colleges in Missouri. Not content to retire, he and Mrs. Crozier became part of the Southern Baptist Convention s Bold Mission Thrust and went to Northborough, Mass., to restore the home of Luther Rice, an early Baptist missionary. Dr. Crozier also remodeled the barn on the place, creating a library and classrooms where seminary extension courses could be taught. He preached in churches throughout New England and enjoyed searching for his family s roots in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Canada. Returning to St. Louis, the Croziers decided to retire to Bolivar, near where Dr. Crozier grew up. He taught classes at Southwest Baptist University after retiring to Bolivar. After several years of declining health, Dr. Crozier died July 19, 1995. His remains were cremated and will be buried with his wife. The Croziers are survived by four children, daughters Lucille and Dr. Michael McBride, state of Florida, Margaret and Curtis Goss and Barbara and John Huberr, state of Indiana and son Ralph Crozier and wife Davida of Frisco, Texas; 13 grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; a sister, Twila Hopkins of Overland Park, Kan.; two sisters-in-law, Louise Dunham of Adrian and Bonnie Crozier of Butler; and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, July 11, 2009 at Murray Funeral Home, Bolivar. Interment will be in Barren Creek Cemetery, west of Bolivar. Memorial donations may be made to Missouri Baptist University, 1 College Park Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141. PDF Printable Version

Grace L. Crozier

August 9, 1915 - July 2, 2009