William Craiglow

William Miller "Bill" Craiglow, 94, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau.

He was born Oct. 1, 1921, in Neelys Landing, the son of Cleat and Cornelia Carmack Craiglow. He and Velma Marie McLard were married Nov. 26, 1950. She passed away Feb. 15, 2008.

Bill served as a medic in the U.S. Army in the Philippines during World War II. He retired from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, after many years of employment.

He was a master mason of the former Oak Ridge Masonic Lodge and was passionate about auto mechanics and horses. He rode a good horse, Foxy. In addition to being an avid horseman, Bill was a loving husband, dad, grandpa and great-grandpa. He was a lefty living in a right-handed world.

Loving survivors include five children, Mary (Lee) Richardson and Susan (Frank) Leadbetter of Jackson, James (Marilyn) Craiglow and Laurel (Ron) Poston of Cape Girardeau and Jon Craiglow of Jackson; 13 grandchildren, Sara, Jennifer, Dale, Adam, Joni, Jeff, Justin, Eric, Alex, Tyler, Mason, Blake and Parker; and 21 great-grandchildren.

In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a son, David Craiglow, and a brother, George Cleat Craiglow.

Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with Brother Jim Matthews officiating. Interment will be in McLain's Chapel Cemetery near Oriole with graveside military honors.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, Cape County Cowboy Church or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.