Leah Marlene Craig went to be with her Lord and Savior at the age of 71 on Monday, July 21, 2008, at a Comfort Care Center, with her loving family at her bedside. She was born on November 7, 1936 in Zanesville, Ohio, to Eherment Perry Bates and Lena Irene Jenkins Bates. Leah loved her Lord and Savior to the depth of her heart and with great faith. She loved being a child of the King and we are so blessed to know our Mother is in the arms of the Lord. No more pain or sorrow; she is finally free.Leah was a very hard worker. She worked at Mooney Aircraft and Kerrville Police Department in the 1960s and as manager of the Branding Iron in the early 1970s. Leah then became manager of the Soap Opera in the 1980s, and house manager and companion to the Griffins in the 1990s.Our Mom has touched many lives with understanding, wisdom and prayer. She went through many hardships, and as she would say, it was God with her that saw her through it all. We grew up in the Nazarene faith. Mom always was at the church doing something or helping someone. She taught Sunday School, always helping with the youth. She had a passion for children, teaching about the Lord through stories and crafts.Leah was such an artist, painter, carver, sewing, quilting, building things with wood, and work on anything mechanical. We truly believed there was nothing our Mom could not do or fix. Never having any formal training, God blessed her with wonderful talents and she used them for the Lord with all her heart. She loved flowers, plants, animals, nature of any kind, and reading and listening to her gospel music. Leah was funny, laughed a lot and the thing that brought the most joy to her life were her grandchildren and great-granddaughter. She loved them with a passion, always having time just to sit and talk or run and play, and in the end - just sitting and playing.She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, William Craig; infant son, Jimmy; granddaughters, Rebecca and Anne; great-granddaughter, Yasmine; and two sisters: Erma Green and Judy Cason.Leah is survived by her children, Debbie Bates Uli and husband, Tim, of San Saba; Sheila Clendennen Gragg and husband, Dean, of Kerrville; Timothy Clendennen and wife, Ginny, of Center Point; Meleah Clendennen Ragsdale and husband, Bill, of Ingram; and Levi Craig and wife, Jana, of Kerrville; siblings - Arlene Pike and husband, John, of Kerrville; Bill Bates and wife, Bernice, of Bandera; Rita Goodman and husband, Tommy, of Ingram; and Jerry Bates of Kerrville; eight grandchildren: Shalethea Makin and Sheen Gutierrez, both of Kerrville; Lance Corporal Shad Gragg (USMC) of San Diego, CA; Cory and Shane Clendennen, both of Center Point; Kathryn Ragsdale of Austin; Sam Uli of Houston; and Tharen Craig of Kerrville; one great-granddaughter, Madison Serur of Kerrville; numerous nieces and nephews; very best and long time friend of 35-plus years, Beverly Sutton; and many other family members and friends who love her, will miss her.

The family would like to thank everyone that cared for our Mother: staff at Trinity Mission Health and Rehab of Comfort, Texas; and staff at Vista Care Hospice. We would especially like to thank Marie Miller of Vista Care for her excellent care of our Mom.

Graveside services were held Saturday, July 26, 2008 at Mountain View Cemetery in Kerrville.In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to Vista Care Hospice, 1001 Water Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, or to the American Cancer Society.