Bernice Craig

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

WOODVILLE, Texas – Memorial services for Bernice Arlene Brown McDougald Craig, 72, of Warren, Texas, formerly of Ferriday, who died Monday, Sept. 8, 2008, at her residence after a lengthy illness, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Stringer and Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville, Texas.
Burial will follow at 11 a.m., Monday, Oct. 6, 2008, at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery, in Houston, Texas, under the direction of Stringer and Griffin Funeral Home.
Mrs. Craig was born May 22, 1936, in Natchez, the daughter of Grey Raymone Brown and Ina Kirtland Brown.
Arlene was raised in and around Ferriday where she eventually met and married James Bryant McDougald. A devoted wife and mother of three, she always put her family first in everything she did. She made her home in Southeast Texas for the past 45 years, 35 of those years in Warren. She was a mother and homemaker first, but worked in ceramics and handicrafts for many years. She was widowed after 47 years of marriage, then met Cliff Craig in 2001 and was happily married to him until his death in 2005.
Always young at heart, Arlene enjoyed traveling, singing, dancing and planting flowers. At any family get together, she was the life of the party when she pulled out her karaoke machine to sing. She and Cliff enjoyed life to the fullest, often dancing into the wee hours, long past the time the younger folks tired out.
She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, Wayne, Joe, Frank and Paul Brown; one son, Bryan Keith McDougald.
Survivors include two children, Sylvia McDougald Holmes and husband, Orie, and Mark McDougald, all of Warren; four brothers, Wincey Brown and wife, Mary, both of Vidalia, Lanny Brown and wife, Nancy, both of Ferriday, Dan Brown and wife, Billie, both of Olive Branch, and Darrow Brown and wife, Sally, both of Alexandria, La.; one sister, Beckie Brown Jones of Brandon; four grandchildren, Amanda Guidry and husband, Chris, Eric Ray, Justin Ray and Stephen McDougald; three great-grandchildren, Christopher and Caitlin Guidry and Jaylon Ray; and her very special friend, Buddy Tanton of Evadale, Texas.
Persons wishing to make a memorial donation may contact Texas CASA at 1-877-TX4-CASA.