Gloria Jean Crews

Monday, September 20, 2021

Gloria Jean Crews, 78, of Paragould, formerly of Leachville, passed from this life Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, at the Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House in Jonesboro. Born in Michigan City, Ind., she was the daughter of the late William Ray and Bertha Shipley Fries and had lived in New York for a time. Gloria was a 1961 graduate of Elston High School in Michigan City, and had attended Indiana Vocational Technical College where she received her certification as a unit clerk in the medical field. After returning to Arkansas in 1981, she began working for St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro where she retired in 2015 after 30 years of service. Gloria enjoyed spending time with family, especially her grandchildren, shopping, going out to eat and watching true crime stories on television. Gloria was a member of Transformed Church of God in Paragould. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one brother, Kevin Fries; two sisters, Frances Ford and Patsy Pilarski; one grandson, Joshua Baskin; one great-grandson, Nicholas Schram; and one nephew, Dustin Fries.

Survivors include her husband of 30 years, Ray Dan Crews of the home; two sons, Terry Alan Alexander (Tina) of Dixon, Mo., and Larry Ray Alexander of Michigan City, Ind.; three daughters, Deborah Ellen Vance (Patrick) of Michigan City, Kara Lee Covington (Jamie) and Cinda Beth Thomas (Ed), all of Paragould; one stepson, James Ray Crews (Shannon) of Pasadena, Texas; four brothers, William Fries of Aurora, Ill., James Fries of Greenville, N.C., Daniel Fries of Michigan City and Gregory Fries of Clarksville, Mich.; three sisters, Pamela Adams of Maine, Diana Kappell of Louisville, Ky., and Linda Shadders of Rochester, N.Y. She also leaves 18 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at the Howard Funeral Service Chapel in Leachville with Rick Scoggins officiating. Burial will follow in the Leachville Cemetery. Serving as active pallbearers will be Ed Thomas, Jamie Covington, William Alexander, Terry Alan Alexander, II, Dustin Baskin and Jeremy Schram. Honorary pallbearers will include Patrick Vance and Casey Sipes. The family will receive visitors Friday from noon until service time at the funeral home. Online guest register: howardfuneralservice.com