William E. “Bill” Crawford, 88 of Joy, died at his home on the family farm on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Graveside services will be 11 a.m., Monday, June 1, at Peniel Cemetery, Joy, Illinois. Visitation is from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 31, at Speer Funeral Home, Aledo. Memorials may be made to the Joy Fire Department or Furever Friends.
William Ernest was born on November 11, 1937, in Davenport, Iowa, to Ernest and Ethel May (Rickey) Crawford. He was a 1955 graduate of Joy High School before attending the Bailey Technical Institute in St. Louis to study diesel mechanics. Out of High School he worked for Harney Morgan. Bill also served his country in the US Army Reserves at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri in the early 1960s. Bill and Shirley Parker were married on March 24, 1968, in Geneseo, Illinois. Together they farmed outside of Joy their entire married life, where he sold Sieben Seed.
Bill loved all that was farming, especially the tractors. He collected antique IH tractors and also enjoyed attending tractor shows and pulls. He was a charter member of the IHC Collectors. In earlier years Bill raised cattle, up to 2500 at a time, with his father and brother. His grandchildren enjoyed riding in the tractor and combine with him. He not only enjoyed tractors, but also Corvettes and Camaros. He still has his first Corvette, a 1954, and only Camaro, a 1970, he bought.
Those left to cherish Bill’s memory include his wife, Shirley; children, Chanin Schallert and husband Eric and William Crawford; grandchildren, Matthew, Nathan, and Emily Schallert; brother, Bob Crawford; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister-in-law, Nina Crawford.