Ruel Clemmer Crawford, Jr.

A native of Marion, VA, he was the son of the late Lela Wilkinson Crawford and Ruel C. Crawford, Sr. He was a member of the Biltmore Baptist Church and was an Army Air Corps veteran of W.W. II. He was founder and president of Crawford Sign Co., Inc. until his retirement in 1986.

He is survived by his wife, Helen Dycus Crawford; two daughters and their husbands, Carol and Lou Higdon of Asheville, Jean and Sammy Epps of Fletcher; a sister and her husband, Kathryn and Mitchell Davidson of Asheville; two grandchildren and their spouses, Tracy and Les Owens, Heath and Sherry Herron and his great-grandson, Ryan Crawford Herron.

Funeral services will be held at 2 PM Friday in the chapel of Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian conducted by the Revs. Lester Crayton and James Walker. Interment will follow in Ashelawn Gardens of Memory.

The family will receive friends from 7 until 8:30 PM Thursday at the funeral home on Long Shoals Road and at other times will be at the home of his daughter, Carol, 607 Holt Lane in Biltmore Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, ''Relay For Life'', 31 College Place, Bldg.C, Suite 100, Asheville, NC 28801.