Biography

John Robert Craig b. 7 Sept 1916 at the Craig Home [later 1021 Talbotton Road] in Columbus, Georgia. (John, like Charles Dickens and David Copperfield, was born three months and 14 days after the death of his father) a posthumous child. John, called “Bobby,” became a favored child in the extended family because of the time and circumstances of his birth. He wore his hair in a Dutch bob. He and sister Mary Ruth at ages four and three had their pictures on the new Craig’s Bakery bread loaf wrapper for some years, and became quite well known in the surrounding sales area, and were constantly pointed out as they were recognized. “Look Mama, that’s the little boy and girl on the bread wrapper.” The family moved from Talbot Avenue to Waverly Terrace, 2903 Beacon Avenue and the three youngest; Bobby, Mary Ruth and Murray now attended the Waverly Terrace School. They too made, with the family, the ill-fated move to Tuscaloosa, returning to a more congenial atmosphere in 1928. John finished grammar school and began his studies at Columbus Industrial High [now Jordan High] where he took rotating shop courses: woodworking, machine shop, radio; [and] drafting where his natural talent for design flourished. He was well muscled and agile for his size, active in Boy Scouts and the related activities of hiking, camping, swimming & with the benefits of clean living he kept fit. Out of school, his options of continuing formal education or being selective in the choice of a trade or profession were severely curtailed, or non-existent. Because of the Great Depression of the thirties, Jon got a job at Lummus Cotton Gin Mfg. Co., a firm where a number of kinfolk worked, working in the sheet metal shop. After some time at Lummus, his day’s assignment was on a heavy grinder, cleaning up rough welded joints on some of the work in progress, holding the work piece up against a fast-whirling grinding wheel. His left hand caught between the part and the rough wheel. The injury was severe, involving the little finger and the third finger on his left hand. Jon was under treatment for some weeks but was left with a loss two permanently ‘deformed’ fingers. He accepted the treatment and “compensation” of forty-five dollars! However, there was a fortunate result to this seeming disaster; he was forced to turn to his natural, God-given talent in drawing and designing that resulted in a richly-rewarding life-time in the field of designing and supervising store fixtures and exteriors in many Southern cities, first with the National Showcase of Columbus with W. T. Rainey, then as a contract designer with H.T. Wills of Atlanta and J. P. Wommack, Mfgs. of Atlanta. Jon (as he now began to spell his name) with a strong sense of a relationship with his religion, and a sincere pacifist was drafted into the Army, over protests, early in World War II. [Processor’s note – Craig was a member of Rose Hill Baptist Church in Columbus, but in April of 1940 moved his membership to Capital Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta.] He accepted his “fate” with good grace. He reported for duty in March of 1941. He was promoted from private to corporal on August 12, 1941. After completing his training at Fort Bragg, he was assigned to the Field Artillery. He was in the Americal Division hitting the beach at Guadalcanal and with U.S. Marines after heavy action secured the Island for the Allies. He also participated in the battles of Bougainville, New Caledonia, and the Fiji Islands. After some years in the Pacific Theatre of War as a Tech Sgt. he was discharged at Fort McPherson, Georgia greeted by members of his family. A happy boy! He developed and patented a portion of a product and became associated with brother Murray in Craig Wood-Products Company of Columbus, Ga. During this period, he courted a young Atlanta girl, Hilda Haynie, worked and lived in the hometown Columbus. To this union came the blessing of two girls. [During his initial army training and throughout the war he wrote and received many letters. He also continuously photographed and sketched scenes of Army life and the life of civilians in the places he served. After the war, he returned to Columbus and worked as an interior designer for local and regional businesses. The girls were Lucy Deborah Craig/Mrs. Rudi Killer (b. January 15, 1948) and Laura Cynthia Craig/Ms. Harold Balsoma.]

Found in 1 Collection or Record: