Craig E. Ewy
September 10, 2021
Craig Earl Ewy, 52, spoke frequently with faith, confidence
and excitement knowing that the time was near when he would be leaving this
life to forever be in the presence of Jesus.
On Friday, September 10, 2021 on the family farm where he had lived his
entire life Craig was welcomed into the arms of his Father.
Craig was born October 26, 1968 in Newton, Kansas, to Earl
and Carol Ewy. From a very young age it became evident that Craig was destined
to become a farmer. As a fourth
generation farmer, Craig would learn everything he would ever need to know from
his father, Earl and his Grandpa Rueben. Farm life and being a farmer would
shape Craig into the hard working man that he became. Working the land he
learned that when the time came to plant or harvest, that was what had to be
done, regardless of what other activities or things may be going on. Craig prided himself on the fact that he
could cram three days of farming into just 24 hours. Craig was very adept at
welding and if he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he had the engineering
skills to build it himself, which had been passed onto him from his
father. He would spend countless hours
in his shop building and designing things to make their farm more
efficient. There was no project too big
or too small for him to tackle. You
never saw Craig without a pair of pliers and baling wire because he knew it
might come in handy.
Craig’s love of farming and tending the soil would be
something he would enjoy his entire life and he would take great pride in. Along with planting the usual crops found in
Kansas such as soybeans, corn, wheat, milo and sunflowers, Craig was never
afraid to try something new and he wasn’t afraid of what people would think
when he would try his hand planting some of the non‑traditional crops rarely
seen in Harvey County such as Sunn Hemp and sesame. Always a businessman and entrepreneur, Craig
was continuously searching for ways to expand the family farm but at times it
could be hard to find outlets to market the final commodity of “exotic”
crop. There was more to McDonald’s sesame-seed
bun than at first blush.
Craig shared his love and knowledge of farming with anyone
that desired to learn about hard work.
His humble demeanor made him the perfect teacher for high school
students that would spend their summers beside him learning about farming and
helping to work the land. There wasn’t
anything about farming that Craig wasn’t willing to share or teach someone.
From Craig’s first marriage he was blessed with three
children, Matraca, Monica, and Jacob, and when Craig wasn’t busy farming, Craig
enjoyed travelling. Craig’s trip in which he took his children to Disney to see
Mickey was a memory he cherished.
Spending time with his family and friends was important to him and
vacationing was a great way to build relationships. His annual four‑wheeling trips to Colorado
were always a favorite. This year in
late July while taking a break from chemo, the trip with his brother-in-law,
Arlen, to Colorado would prove to be especially good for his soul. Trips to Florida, Hawaii and other places
would mean an opportunity for Craig to sample yet more Mexican food and things
with a cajun flare.
Most mornings Craig could be found with a small group of
loyal and close friends at the Hesston Tru Value. Here they would share stories, compare rainfall
totals, drink cheap coffee, enjoy a good cinnamon roll, and solve the world’s
problems.
In February 2016 Craig would marry the love of his life and
best friend, Jeni. Though some people
can be skeptical of online dating, their love was brought together through the
Farmer’sOnly.com dating site. Their
courtship would be brief but the love they shared was deep and abiding. Jeni
would bring to the marriage her children Harley and Cooper, who Craig would
take in and love as though they were his own flesh and blood. Jeni’s shared
love of the Lord would lead Craig to convert to the Catholic faith shortly
after they were married. Craig would
attend daily mass whenever he got the chance and with his renewed relationship with
Christ, his love and generous spirit would flourish. Together their new blended family would learn
about unconditional love as they would learn to celebrate each other’s company,
faithful love, and what it means to live the farm life.
Craig was diagnosed with myxoid liposarcoma in February of
2019. Never one to complain about the hand that life had dealt him or to shy
away from the diagnosis, Craig faced his cancer head on with grace and peace
that can only come from his personal relationship with his Lord and Savior. When it had become apparent that the cancer
treatments were no longer working, Craig made the courageous decision to pursue
quality of life. In his last weeks,
Craig often spoke of how humbling it was to see Christ’s love in action through
the neighbors and friends that would visit, support him, and love him and his
family through his all-too-short battle with cancer. Though cancer took his life, it never dimmed
his spirit or faith. Those lucky enough
to have Craig in their life and call him a friend will miss his loyalty, his
faithfulness and knowing that he would always be the one to show up whenever
anything was needed. Craig’s generous
and loving spirit allowed him to leave his friends and family better for having
known him and this world better for having him in it.
Craig is survived by his partner in crime and loving wife,
Jeni; his children Matraca (Jordan) Smith, McPherson, Kansas; Monica (Tate)
Minchew, Lubbock, Texas; Jacob Ewy, Newton, Kansas; and Harley and Cooper
McCormick of the home. He is also
survived by his mother, Carol Ewy, Hesston, Kansas; and sisters Diane (Mark)
Yoder, Phoenix, Arizona, and Lanita (Arlin) Bohn, Overland Park, Kansas. He is also survived by his loyal farming
partner and friend Adam Grieser (Vanessa), Newton, Kansas, his nieces and nephews
and too many friends to count. Craig was
preceded in death by his father, Earl Ewy.
Craig served his community volunteering for the Moundridge
and Hesston fire departments. He served
as an officer on the Emma Township Board and was a member of Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic Church. Memorials may
be made to the OLG Altar Society or OLG Knights of Columbus in care of
Petersen’s Funeral Home, 201 N. Main, Newton, Kansas, 67114.
Holy Rosary will be 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 15 at Our
Lady of Guadalupe Church in Newton with visitation following 7:00 to 9:00.
Catholic Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, September
16 at Our Lady
of Guadalupe Church.
Private family burial to follow.
