Joan Dorothy McCracken

Joan Dorothy McCracken, 85, of Jackson, MI went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 at Henry Ford Allegiance Hospice Home in Jackson.  She was born March 6, 1933, in Chicago to James and Mildred Krein.  She married Donald McCracken on November 7, 1953 in First Methodist Church in Woodstock, IL.

Survivors include her three children; Mike (Vickie) McCracken of Jackson, Don (Joanne) McCracken of Jackson, and Bob (Michelle) McCracken of Saline, MI; seven grand-children, Tony (Samara) McCracken, Joseph (Heather) McCracken, Angela (Samuel) Schutte, Kelsey (Keegan) Adriance, Jacob (Allison) McCracken, Tony (Emily) McCracken, and Kelly McCracken; four great-grandchildren, Emmi, Lilly, Max and Isaac; and her siblings, Dolores Musser of Ukiah, California, Patricia Grott of Evanston, Illinois, Judy Schick of Arlington Heights, Illinois, Ted Krein of West Valley City, Utah, and Barbara May of Fox Lake, Illinois; and numerous nieces and nephews.     

She is preceded in death by her husband Donald McCracken, her brother James Krein Jr., and her parents, James and Mildred Krein.

She attended high school in McHenry, IL, but transferred to Woodstock High School in Woodstock, IL her senior year, graduating in 1951.  After marriage and starting a family, she operated a babysitting service out of her home in McHenry.  In 1973 she and her family moved to Horton, Michigan, where she realized her dream of living in the country.  She was a phenomenal artist, specializing in charcoal portraits.  She also wrote and illustrated books for her kids and grandkids.   She loved camping and going to the beach with her family and continued that tradition in her later years with her grandkids.  With a passion for Christ, she was an active youth leader at Hillside United Methodist Church in Horton during the 1970s and participated in several work-camps with the church to help communities in need.   An adventurer at heart, she travelled when her health allowed and even took her grandchildren on an Oregon Trail wagon train trek in 1996.  She particularly enjoyed her annual summer vacation at Maranatha Bible & Missionary Conference in Norton Shores, MI.  She could always be found carrying a camera and often spent her days creating albums that combined her photography and drawing talents.  She was an avid Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers fan and enjoyed watching hockey.  But more than anything, she enjoyed spending time with her grandkids.

A celebration of her life will be held on Monday, July 2, 2018 at Watson Funeral Chapel, 2590 Spring Arbor Road, Jackson, MI.  Family will greet visitors beginning at 10 a.m., followed by a short service at 11 a.m. with Chaplain Greg Grotbeck officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial donations in Joan’s name to Allegiance Hospice Home, 2150 Kingsbrooke Drive, Jackson, MI 49202.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joan Dorothy McCracken, please visit our floral store.