Minnie Katherine Ledbetter Crutchfield, 98, passed away on January 23, 2023. She was born June 27, 1924 in Hartshorne, Oklahoma to Charles Fredrick and Katherine (Silva) Ledbetter and graduated in 1942 from Heavener High School. After attending Hill’s Business College of Oklahoma City she was employed by The Kansas City Southern Railroad.
On December 11, 1953, Katherine and A. C. Crutchfield were married and spent their honeymoon in Florida, later moving to Alaska and then to San Jose, California. In 1958 they came home to Waldron, Arkansas and began a cattle business before purchasing the OTASCO store. Later they purchased The Exxon distributorship before retiring.
Katherine enjoyed all sports to the fullest including tennis, basketball, football, baseball and the Olympics. She was a fan of such notables as John Daly, Wes Welker, Rafel Nadal and could talk sports with the best of them.
Of special interest to her is the annual July 4th Crutchfield reunion.
At the age of 65, Katherine took up golf, joining the Waldron Country Club and eventually becoming a board member. She played golf at many of the courses in Arkansas and Oklahoma as an avid lover of the game. She enjoyed the many friends she made because of golf.
Katherine relished traveling, touring Europe several times.
Later in life, she encountered congestive heart failure, a broken hip and colon cancer. She survived each one living a full and meaningful life with the help of Mercy doctors, nurses and staff along with Concordia Senior Living staff and friends and family. Good Shepherd Hospice comforted her in her last days.
She is survived by sister Sylvia Ann Ledbetter and husband James L. Monk of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma several nieces, nephews, friends such as Marta McGaugh and Linda Goodner.
She was preceded in death by her husband A.C. Crutchfield, her parents Charles Fredrick and Katherine (Silva) Ledbetter, sister Sara Jane Ledbetter & Bernard (Tut) Bartzen, Alberta & Floyd Ward, L.R. & Ruth Crutchfield, Doris & Kenneth Deatherage, Quida & R.M. Blackwood and Leah Fern & Buddy Campbell.
Katherine’s life celebration will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 28th, 2023 at Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas and will be laid to rest at the Sehorn Cemetery.
You may leave words of comfort and remembrance for Katherine’s family by visiting: www.heritagememoriafh.com.
