William Howard Crose

William Howard "Bill" Crose, 92, passed away December 28, 2007, in Cottonwood, Arizona. He was born in Prescott to Otis P. and Mary L.B. Crose on May 28, 1915, and graduated from Prescott High School. Bill married Helen Merle Acrey on July 29, 1939. He worked as a carpenter, a pipe fitter, a truck driver, and an engineer's assistant before moving his family to Clarkdale in 1943. In Clarkdale, he was employed at the Smelter by Phelps Dodge. There, he worked in the pipe shop and maintained the generators in the power house and the locomotive engines in the round house. He later was transferred to uptown Clarkdale to maintain the company houses. When the smelter closed and Phelps Dodge sold the company houses, Bill continued working for Clarkdale Realty Co. and the Town of Clarkdale. His early duties there included maintenance of the Town water system at Haskell Springs and turning the town street lights on in the evening and off in the morning one by one. One project he was proud of was that his crew rebuilt and maintained the water flume that exists above Jerome. In later years, he maintained the Town's building and grounds, including the Clarkdale Clubhouse and Park Gazebo., the wastewater plant, pool, and cemetery. Bill was a member of the Clarkdale Volunteer Fire Department from 1950-1980. When he joined the Fire Department, hose cart shacks lined the town streets. When an alarm was called, crew volunteers would run to the cart houses, grab a cart and attempt to extinguish the fire with the hose on the cart, which was connected to an adjoining fire hydrant. The nearest fire truck was housed at the smelter, but usually the fire was out by the time the truck could make its way there. In the mid-sixties, Bill was instrumental in moving the fire truck to a more convenient location in upper town, and was made Fire Chief, a position he held until he retired from the Town and the Fire Department in 1980. Bill loved to camp, hunt, fish, play pool and horseshoes, and spend time with his family. He and his wife Helen bowled in leagues at Cottonwood Lanes for many years. He taught his kids and grandkids, whom he affectionately called "skilligans," how to build kites, wooden airplanes, and rubber band guns. He also enjoyed watching the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Diamondbacks in person and on TV. Bill lived in lower Clarkdale for 64 years. He lost his wife, Helen, in 1984 to cancer, after 45 years of marriage. During the last two years of his life, he was blessed to have his grandson Brandon and wife Melissa, live with and assist him. Bill is survived by three daughters; Billie Jean Helm (Bill) of Camp Verde, Mary Linda Heydorn (Willie) of Clinton, Utah, and Debra Lee Pearson (Ron) of Clarkdale; two brothers Robert Crose (Erma), Ray Crose (Doris) and one sister Gracie Richards, all of Cottonwood. Bill also leaves a former son-in-law, Joel DeTar of Cottonwood; twelve grandchildren, Pamela, Clark, Frank Jr. (melody), Shanon, Ginger (Dean), Mark Sandy (Greg), Jonathan (Jen), Audra (Jeremy), JJ (Jennifer). Brandon (Melissa), and Benjamin (Sara), and 17 great grandchildren. His parents, one brother, Leslie Crose, and one sister, Margaret Taylor, preceded him in death. His family would like to share a "Celebration of Bill's Life," Friday, January 4 at 2pm at Westcott Funeral Home on Mingus Ave. in Cottonwood. A viewing/visitation will be held at January 3 at 5:30-7pm. To plant Memorial Trees in memory of William Howard Crose, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.