John William (Bill) Craig, formerly of Eldorado and Ridgway

John William (Bill) Craig, a resident of Warren, Minnesota and formerly of Ridgway, Illinois, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022 at North Valley Health Center.

Bill was born July 21, 1954 in Eldorado, Illinois to the late John Clifton and Mary Catherine (Cox) Craig.

Bill was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Warren, and previously was a longtime member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Eldorado. He graduated 8th grade at St. Mary's Catholic School and in 1972 graduated from Eldorado Township High School.

He was married to Connie Olson Craig on July 3, 1976. They started their family and Steven was born in 1977; followed by the adoption of their two daughters, Krissy in 1981, and Katie in 1989.

Having grown up on a diversified grain and livestock farm, Bill was active in the agriculture industry from a young age with 4-H and FFA. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Industries/Economics from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, he continued his passion with a lifelong career in agriculture.

While living in Mapleton, Minnesota, he worked for Blue Earth County Coop and was on the Volunteer Fire Department. Bill moved with his family back to Ridgway, and continued his passion in agriculture, working for Crop Production Services for 10 years.

Bill moved to Warren with his family in 1996, where he settled into his life's work of helping families market, manage and finance their farms - keeping the future in mind for the next generations. He worked strictly in finance before going back to school in 2000, earning his Master's degree in education from University of Minnesota at Duluth.

Bill specialized in teaching about farm and risk management and retired from the University of Minnesota Extension Office in 2014.

Following his retirement, Bill kept very busy in the community. In addition to being the Ag Director for both Marshall and Pennington (MN) counties for many years, Bill was a county Ag Inspector, grant writer and plot coordinator; and was elected chairman of both the Marshall County Soybean/Corn Growers Association as well as the International Crops.

He was a member of the Warren Volunteer Ambulance Corp. and Lions Club International, served on the W/A/O Public Education Foundation Board and was a commissioner with the Warren Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Bill will always be remembered for his smile, kind heart and generosity. He was known for his sense of humor and bringing a smile to people's faces. One of his biggest passions was being in service to the community.

Bill's other two great passions were watching his grandsons, Blaise and Blair, grow up. Whether it was sports or racing, Bill was always cheering his boys on from the sidelines.

Bill is survived by his children, Steven Craig of Burbank, California, Krissy (Joey) Potucek of Warren, MN; and Katie (Mary) Gonzalez of Brainerd, MN; grandsons, Blaise and Blair Potucek; siblings, Patricia (Lawrance) Hedger, Debra Cox and Mike (Lisa) Craig; several nieces and nephews; and his former wife, Connie Olson. He is also survived by his beloved, Nona Tweten of Thief River Falls, MN.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by grandparents Elisha and Helen Craig; and Clem and Hannah Cox, and a niece, Jessica Hedger.

A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Warren, Minnesota. Visitation will be held one hour before services at the church. Interment will be done at St. Mary Cemetery in Eldorado, Illinois.

To sign the online register book visit www.duborefuneralhome.com.

Arrangements are being handled by DuBore Funeral Home of Warren, MN.