Audrey Crabb

10/10/1922 — 9/16/2019

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In the early evening hours of Monday, Sept. 16, 2019, Audrey Pearl Crabb passed over to join her husband, Don, and our heavenly father.

Audrey’s life began on a rural farm located between Cottonwood and Ferdinand on Oct. 10, 1922. She was born Audrey Pearl Brown to parents Edgar Tracy and Martha Melinda (Adams) Brown. There, she was also joined by older brother Sheldon and younger siblings Don, Edna, Robert and Jean.

The farm was located on both sides of Stock Creek as they farmed with two teams of horses and by hand. The farm had no electricity.

Sheldon, Audrey and Don attended the Stock Creek one-room schoolhouse until 1934. Because of the Depression, farming became unprofitable, so Edgar and Martha moved the family to Asotin, where Audrey was enrolled in the sixth grade.

During the summer months, she picked strawberries for small wages, and she was known to be a fast picker, outpicking her brother, Don, 3 to 1.

Audrey was a very capable student and graduated in 1940 beside her dearest friend and neighbor, Helen Watson. After graduation, she attended Lewiston Business College until 1942, when her mother passed from a stroke. She then became the homemaker for her family until 1946, when her father remarried.

She then moved to Lewiston and was hired as a clerk for the Selective Service System. She spent most of her working years traveling and working with others throughout the state of Idaho. She helped classify men for draft calls. She also incorporated mandatory changes in regulations.

In the late 1950s, she was appointed clerk for Nez Perce County Selective Service. It was during this time that she met Donald Verne Crabb, through the help of sister Edna and CC Anderson’s. Don was a regional buyer for the company at this time.

Audrey and Don were married in Coeur d’Alene in 1960. They had one child, a son named Kelly, born in 1961.

Turning down the lead position in San Francisco when the draft was consolidated, she retired after more than 30 years and began working for greeting card and toy companies that supplied stores like Pay Less and Dissmore’s Markets in Lewiston, Walla Walla, Moscow and Pullman.

After fully retiring, the light of her life was born, granddaughter Rachael Ashley. The two were inseparable. Playing, watching cartoons, gardening and making and eating cookies were their favorite activities. They were able to make Audrey’s world-famous strawberry jam together a few times. Rachael wrote a story about Grandma’s toast and jam in first grade that was published. They also had ice cream dates, cut flowers and listened to 1940s big band and jazz music together. Rachael thanks her grandmother for passing the gift of jazz to her, along with her grandmother’s favorites, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker.

Audrey loved attending all the dance and music performances Rachael was involved in. Their biggest wish together was for Audrey to be able to attend Rachael’s high school graduation from Asotin, which she did.

They shared a unique, special and rare bond as they were best friends. Rachael’s life is not the same since her passing. She knows she’s being guided and protected by her angel.

Audrey was preceded in death by both parents, brothers Sheldon and Don, and sister Jean. Her husband, Don, passed in December 2008. She is survived by brother Bob; sister Edna; son Kelly (Teresa); and her granddaughter, Rachael.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

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