Vynita June Craig

Vynita June (Lathrom) Craig, nicknamed “June Bug” by her dad, was born March 2, 1948, to Hershel Harvey and Ada Nevada (Carder) Lathrom in Rayborn, Missouri. She passed away March 17, 2019, at Mercy in Springfield, Missouri. She was 71 years and 15 days of age.

Vynita went to school at Green Forest. She often told tales of having fun riding bare back on her horse, Judy. Vynita loved singing, yodeling, and dancing from a young age. She recorded singing tapes and considered becoming a professional singer, but chose to marry and raise a family instead. She was a young bride to Floyd Craig. Three children were born to this union. She often said that she grew up with her children. They lived in Wichita, Kansas for several years before moving back to Missouri. They lived in Hartville and Springfield before settling on a ten acre farm near Vynita’s parents in Manes, Missouri. Vynita then had her fourth child, a daughter.

Vynita loved to go hunting and fishing, and was often found going bare foot. Vynita liked to share a story about killing two squirrels out of a tree by shooting one shot from a .22 rifle using her left hand. Vynita could do anything she set her mind to. She cooked wonderful meals and grew flowers like no one else. She enjoyed going to yard sales, knitting, crocheting, and watching detective stories on television. She greatly loved to visit with her best friends and her sister, Doris. Toward the end of her life, she liked riding around in the car and going to town with her son.

She made life fun for her children, enjoying things like volunteering at Manes school and letting baby animals of all kinds live on their farm. She loved all kinds of animals and was known to have chickens, fish, goats, rabbits, squirrels, or baby ground hogs enjoying her care at any time. She loved sitting on her porch and always had lawn chairs available for visiting. Her porch also would be covered in Christmas lights any time of the year.

Besides her parents, Vynita was preceded in death by three brothers, Jack Lee Lathrom and two infant brothers, Stanley and Larry Lathrom, two sisters, Doris Moore and Beverly Lathrom, and one sister-in-law, Wanda Lathrom.

She is survived by her four children, Norma Postlewait and her husband, David, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Cindy Davis and her husband, Dowell, of Cabool, Missouri, Jeff Lee Craig of Mountain Grove, Missouri, and Tiffany Craig of Mountain Grove, Missouri, four brothers, Gene Lathrom and his wife, Hazel, Earl Dean Lathrom, Jerry Lathrom and his wife, Lola, and Ronnie Glen Lathrom and his wife, Betty, all of Mountain Grove, Missouri, two sisters, Evelyn Coble of Mountain Grove, Missouri, and Teresa Murr and her husband, Danny, of Grovespring, Missouri, one sister-in-law, Joann Lathrom, three grandchildren, Jade Manczuk and her husband, Brandan, Trason Davis, and Angela Burgdorf and her husband, Luke, four great-grandchildren, Kasimir and Rubi Manczuk, Melody Tate, and Eli Burgdorf, many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends who will greatly miss her. Vynita’s family loved to tell good stories, eat good food, and loved living life as part of a large family.