John B. Crutcher

John B. Crutcher was born in Chicago in July of 1929. His father Oscar owned and operated an auto repair shop near Wrigley Field. His mother was an honors graduate of Robert A. Waller High School and The Rose Conservatory of Music. She was very passionate about the arts and loved literature. John and his younger brother were only 14 months apart in age.

The four Illinois towns in which he had lived form a square if connected by lines drawn on a map. At six years old his family moved to the small southern Illinois town, Palestine, aptly named for one of the hometowns of a future minister. The family moved to East St. Louis during his teenage years where he was an outstanding high school pole-vaulter earning 6 varsity letters in track, football, baseball and basketball. John was a finalist in pole-vault at the 1947 Illinois State Track Championships at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

He attended McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois where he met the love of his life, his wife Patsy. Crutcher graduated with a B.A. in English and earned twelve varsity letters in track, football, and basketball. He graduated from Seminary in Evanston, Illinois at Garrett Biblical Institute.

John spent 58 years in the ministry and was a champion for ministerial civil rights in Phenix City, Alabama in the 1950’s. He served 8 years in the Naval Reserve. John was very passionate about the ministry, sports, history and his family. He had a keen interest in World War II due to its impact on his life as a youth. John B. Crutcher died in September of 2010.