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Charles Ray Craynon, 33, Auburn, formerly of Olney, was found dead in Auburn about two weeks ago April 18, 1979. Police are investigating as a possible homocide.
The cause of death is not known. According to reports from Auburn, he was found by police in a motel apartment and had been dead about a month. Police were sent to the motel by the Auburn Postmaster, who noticed that Craynon's mail had not been picked up for several weeks. Craynon apparently moved into the dwelling on Illinois 4 shortly before his death. He was found in bed amidst unpacked belongings and sparse furnishings at 3 p.m.
County Coroner, Norman Richter said the state of decomposition is such that it was very difficult to determine if there are stab wounds. Richter said there were no signs of violence inside the apartment and no weapons were recovered. Richter said Craynon was lying in bed, pants, with papers of identification, were found next to the bed. Medication was found in the house, but the coroner said it had not been identified. His pickup truck was parked in front of the apartment with the dead man's name on the side. The truck was tidy and empty. It is reported that laboratory tests to determine the cause of death were inconclusive because of the deterioration of the body.
Craynon was apparently unemployed, according to Auburn police officer, Sgt. Randy Baldwin.
Graveside interment of cremated remains will be at the Memorial Garden section of Haven Hill Cemetery. Reverend J. Edward Quick will officiate.
He is survived by a sister, Rosie Prettyman; his ex-wife, Janet of Riverton; three nieces and two grand-nieces and several aunts and uncles.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Irma Craynon.
Published in State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL) - Thursday, April 19, 1979 & Olney Daily Mail (IL)
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Peter C. Weber (1963)
Charlie( Cherokee Charlie) was a good bud of mine. We spent a lot of time together and he taught me a lot about spin fishing (I was a fly fisherman). We went frog gigging up Fox Creek and we were quite successful. Charlie was brilliant, but in a city he was a fish out of water. He was a self-proclaimed river rat. Charlie and I had planned a canoe trip for the summer of 1965,but I had to go to summer school to pick up liberal arts credits B4 starting med school. The trip was postponed. When I got home from college that summer I called Charlie's home and was told by his mother that he had just gotten married a few days ago. What a disappointment!(For me,not Charlie) To my surprise, Charlie called a couple of days later saying the trip was on. He said there was an understanding with his bride that the trip had been planned B4 the wedding and it was understood that he would go. So within a week of being married, Charlie joined me on a canoe trip on the Wabash River. It was unbearably hot, the sun was unforgiving and we had to share the sandbars we camped on with pigs which were allowed to run wild. We did survive but Charlie had a mild case of sunstroke. This was my second worst canoe trip ever. (The worst was on the Little Wabash with Howard Brockman, Mike Sliva,Mike Redman et. al. But this is another story.) I miss Charlie, and the loss of the possibilities for greatness of which his mind was capable.
Pete Weber, Class of 63
Rosalie Baclet (1963)
CHARLES RAY( WHAT I ALWAYS CALLED HIM AS DID HIS MOM} WE FIRST MET WHEN WE BOTH WERE 4 1/2 YEARS OLD. I HAD MOVED FROM BENTON TO OLNEY RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO MY BEST FRIEND AND PLAY MATE FOR YEARS AT 221 VAN STREET, I MOVED FROM VAN ST WHEN I WAS 15 TO CHERRY ST. CHARLES RAY AND I WERE ALWAYS OUT BY SOME PONDS OR IN THE WOODS AROUND OUR HOUSES. WE WOULD CATCH FROGS, TADPOLS, CRAWFISH, BATS AND PICKED A LOT OF BLACK BERRIES. BACK THEN OUR HOUSES WERE THE LAST STREET EAST OF TOWN. AS WE GOT OLDER WE WENT OUR SEPERATE WAYS. THERE ARE MANY OTHER MEMORIES AS WE DID GET INTO TROUBLE DOING GOOFY KID THINGS. CHARLES RAY HAD A SERIOUS BACK PROBLEM AND WAS BED RIDDEN IN A CAST FOR AROUND A YEAR. IRMA,CHARLES RAY MOM, KEPT HIM PRETTY ISOLATED AS HE WAS SO ILL. I MISS MY DEAR CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND HE WAS THE BETTER PART OF MY YOUNG MEMORIES. ROSE BACLET