Betty Jean Craig

Betty Jean Craig (aka BJ) was born in Flint, Michigan, to Andrew & Lena Havrilla. Betty loved to dance! Her father made sure she could continue taking dance classes. She danced on the Chesaning Show Boat; her mother sewed all of her costumes. She ran a dance studio out of her home & started teaching dance at age 14. Betty married Paul Craig, had 3 children: Dennis, Carrie and Kimberly. She has 5 grand children and 13 great grand children. Together, with her husband, they started Northwoods RV Center, in Mt. Morris, Michigan. Later they opened Bay Valley RV Center on I-75 in Bay City. Betty managed the Marketing end of the business: Sports & Boat Show (IMA Arena), “Old Customer Night”, annual birthday promotions, and the Media for: TV, radio, and newspaper advertising. They had a travel club and hosted an annual “On the Hill Rally”. They even had a jingle! They were the #1 dealer in Airstream Travel Trailers. They also were the top Coachmen dealer for 5 years in a row, featuring Midas Mini motorhomes and the Airstream Argosy motorhome. Their business awarded them several trips for being top in sales in the nation. They traveled to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, and England, as well as Hawaii, and Mexico. In the late 70s, Betty moved with her 2 daughters to Traverse City and transitioned to Real Estate sales at Real Estate One and later Rupp & Keen. Her focus was on Waterfront sales. Eventually, she trained to do Massage Therapy. She and her best friend, Lana, trained together and traveled to work on U.S. Olympic athletes in Lake Placid, NY and spring training athletes in Lakeland, Florida. Betty loved to travel, especially to escape cold Winters in Northern Michigan. Additional adventures took her to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Florida, and the Smokey Mountains. Wintering in Florida, she went to Disney's Fort Wilderness Park, Oscar Scherer State Park, and Sanibel Island. Betty had a strong faith in God. When the new Faith Missionary Church in Flint was built, Betty and Paul paid for the church bells that chimed daily. Other church affiliations were: First Congregational Church (TC) and New Hope Community Church (Williamsburg). In the early 80’s, she got involved with the Old Town Playhouse. She danced in the play Cabaret. She attended NMC, (TC), for photography and pottery. Later, she would take watercolor workshops and paint with a group from the TC Art Center. Betty was often described as a ”free spirit”. She was lively, out going and engaging. She loved nature. Along with her photography, you would almost always see her at a gathering or function with a video camera filming an event or interviewing attendees. Betty loved to choreograph dance routines for children and adults. Most recently, she danced with a group at the Elks Lodge in TC. She volunteered at the Grand Traverse Senior Center with the Alzheimer group and belonged to the TC Art Center for many years. She had a passion for people. Betty used to say, “Love One Another”. Most recently, however, it was “Blue Blue, God Loves You & So Do I”. Do not be sad, but be joyful that she no longer has confusion. Envision her dancing on a beach and making her way to Heaven to see and be reunited with so many loved ones: Kimberly Jean (daughter), Paul (ex-husband), Norma (sister-in-law), Michael Poindexter (nephew), Richard Fuller (significant other), and to be with Jesus. Betty will be dancing in Heaven too; No more pain, no more sorrow; resting in the Lord. Betty is survived by: (Big brother) Lloyd Havrilla and family, (little sister) Delores (Havrilla) Poindexter, with (brother-in-law) Ron and (nephew) Stephen, (son) Dennis Craig and (daughter-in-law Lori (Brown) Craig, (daughter) Carrie Craig Murphy with (son-in-law) Charles Murphy. The grand children: Ryan, Casey, Benjamin, Lucas, and Sydney along with their families. Funeral arrangements are being handled by Kalkaska Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life is planned for September 26, 2023 at 1:00PM till 3:00PM, at New Hope Community Church’s Community Room in Williamsburg, MI. In lieu of flowers, there is a fundraiser for a memorial waterfront swing. https://gofund.me/39d0f3bd for more info: https://www.facebook.com/bettyjean.craig.5

Betty Jean Craig

December 22, 1934 - June 17, 2023