Frances Hawkins Crain Passes at Age 95
By Steve Crain, Frances and Fred's nephew, June 2022
Frances Louetta Hawkins Crain’s childhood family attended Double Springs Baptist Church (DSBC, often referred to as “Doub”) in Greenville County, SC. Frances was the youngest of two boys and four girls of George and Etta Robinson Hawkins. A third son, younger than Frances, died at birth. When she was 12, Frances’ farming family moved a short distance to Mountain View and attended Locust Hill Baptist Church. Her father bought a second car for the children to continue attending DSBC if they wished.
Fred Eugene Crain, son of Carl C. Crain and Lillian Parker Crain, graduated from Mountain View School (11 grades) in 1942 and worked two years on his father’s farm before hiring at Southern Bleachery and Print Works, Taylors, SC. Fred’s 3-year-older brother J.B. (my father, who was married to my mother, Eva) served in Germany at that time with the U.S. 84th Infantry.
Frances finished Mountain View School in 1944 and worked at Southern Bleachery. Fred began work there that year. They married on Nov. 3, 1945, and attended DSBC on Sunday mornings and Gum Springs Pentecostal-Holiness Church (GSPHC) on Sunday nights.
Frances inspected cloth in the mill’s Print Department. Nell Gaul, 10 years older than Frances, attended Southern Bleachery Baptist Church in Taylors and worked near Frances as a “ticketer.” One day, at work, Mrs. Gaul asked, “Frances, are you a Christian?”
Though a life-long churchgoer, Frances had to answer, “No.”
Months later, during a packed Sunday night revival at DSBC, where the Rev. Pastor Mayfield Pruitt pastored, Frances “fell under conviction of sin” as two young ladies from Glassy Mountain Baptist Church sang “Praise God, My Sins Are Gone.” That song includes these words: “They’re underneath the blood of the cross of Calvary, as far removed as darkness is from dawn … Praise God, my sins are gone.”
The evangelist preached, and Frances accepted Christ. “When I got up from the altar, the first person I saw was Nell Gaul, and she didn’t even go to that church,” Frances said.
One week from that Sunday night, she and Fred, then 23, attended GSPHC. J.B., Eva and Fred sang “When He Reached Down His Hand for Me.” After Pastor Simpson A. Merritt preached, J.B., who had accepted Christ, stood near Fred. Fred walked the aisle and touched J.B.’s arm as a signal to go with him to pray. Fred was the only one to accept Christ that night, he said. “I remember Uncle Jim Crain praying loud,” Fred said. “He got happy.” After the service, Pastor Merritt said to Fred, “I thought you were already saved.”
Frances retired from Taylors Fire Department. Fred, age 91, passed on Feb.21, 2018. Frances, 95, passed on May 25, 2022. Fred worked at Faith Printing Company and last worked as Faith Temple’s associate pastor. They, charter members of Faith Temple, served together 30 years — he as president, she as secretary — of the church’s Golden Age Club.
Frances’ service was graveside at 11:00 a.m., Monday, June 6, 2022, at Faith Temple Cemetery, Taylors, SC, conducted by Pastor Raymond Burrows. He met the Crains in 1995 when he became Faith Temple’s pastor. He read from Proverbs 31: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies… .”
“That applies to Mrs. Frances,” he said. “An elegant, refined Southern lady, she was a devoted wife; they supported each other. She always dressed so neatly … ready to step out of a classical magazine.”
He said he sometimes unexpectedly visited their home and always found it neat and orderly. He praised their Golden Age Club leadership. “They trusted the Lord… not allowing a sense of anger. Even when her mind began to slip, that personal kindness was there,” Pastor said. “She was a person who feared the Lord. She is now in God’s abode. I guess, by now, they [she and Fred] have had some time together.” He thanked the late Bobby McKinney’s family for helping care for the Crains during their years at Spring Park (assisted living).
During my childhood, I and my birth family and Uncle Fred and Aunt Frances attended church together and sometimes vacationed together. After my parents died in 1989, I thought of Uncle Fred and Aunt Frances as parent-figures. While living in NC for nearly 30 years, I talked weekly by phone to them and wrote weekly letters/cards to them. Uncle and I made music when I stopped overnight on trips from NC to a Georgia carpet-dyeing company. My late wife, Carol, and I moved from NC to Taylors in Jan. 2018. Uncle died 41 days later. Carol died a year and a day after our move. Now, Aunt Frances has joined those loved ones. Because of Jesus, I plan to see them again.
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