Virginia Crabtree

Virginia Rose Crabtree was born April 3, 1925 in Knoxville , TN ; the first of 8 children of Albert Richard Pettiford and Nora Belle Higgens-Pettiford. She grew up in Knoxville , TN where she attended nursing school and worked for the American Red Cross. In the 1950\u0027s she and her husband George and their family relocated to Flagstaff , AZ. Her extensive professional career includes her work for the Museum of AZ where she studied Indian artifacts and became an expert in the Native cultures of AZ. She graduated from Professional Secretary School and was President of the National Professional Secretaries Association where she was recognized and received awards for her leadership and professionalism. After the loss of her husband and retirement, she relocated to Cottonwood , AZ. She passed in the Verde Valley Medical Center on April 15, 2011. She is survived by a daughter, Georgia Pitts of Maricopa; son Christopher Crabtree of Camp Verde; 11 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren; sister Gail Kegarise of Cookeville, TN; 2 brothers, Beecher Leroy Pettiford and wife Pauline Freeman Pettiford of Heiskell, TN; Larry and wife Peggy Pettiford of Knoxville, TN; many nieces, nephews and cousins throughout the US and Canada and many loving friends including Julian Jimenez (J.J.) of Cottonwood. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband, George Crabtree; two sons Michael Crabtree and Rocky Crabtree; daughter Faith Anne Crabtree; grandson Jeremy Crabtree; sister Amona Jean Holzhoffer; and three brothers Albert Kenneth Pettiford, Charles Evan Pettiford and Ralph Gerald Pettiford. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 2:00pm at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah\u0027s Witnesses, 1310 Highway 260, Cottonwood. An online guestbook is available to sign at www.westcottfuneralhome.com