William Riley "Bill" Crump was a well-known resident of the Wilson Creek area. He had a furniture factory that was run entirely by water power, and he crafted fine, handmade furniture. He also made his own coffin.
Tom T. Hall wrote and recorded a song about Bill Crump – "The Ballad of Bill Crump." The ballad depicts the life of Bill Crump and tells of him making his coffin.
On April 18, 2009, the Wilson Creek Visitor Center, Collettsville, NC (Caldwell County) hosted a Bill Crump Day. A memorial service in honor of Bill Crump was presented by Friends of Wilson Creek. The following is a transcription of the program for the memorial service:
Memorial Service in Honor of Bill Crump
Bill Crump was the great, great grandson of a German Hessian soldier, Connadt Kramm (later known as Conrad Crump) who came to America to fight for the British in the Revolutionary War. He later defected to the American side and was at different times a prisoner of war of both the British and Americans.
After the war he eventually settled west of present day Gamewell in a German Community.
Bill was born in the area of Cajah's Mountain but moved to Edgemont after marrying in 1896 (1894) He finally settled on a plot of land on Wilson Creek between Edgemont and Carey's Flat. He is thought to have had 22 children, 12 by his first wife, Carrie Barlow, and 10 by his second wife, Mary Jane Woodruff.
He was a true mountain man. A rugged, self-sufficient individual with a droll sense of humor. His biggest claim to fame, however, was the fine furniture which he made in his factory run entirely by water power. He set this up himself although he had never worked in a furniture factory elsewhere.
Today we will honor the memory of Bill Crump as we hear from three individuals who knew him. The "individuals" do not represent one specific person but a composite person drawn from talking with numerous people who knew him or remember stories about him.
Obituary-Edited
W.R. "Bill" Crump, 92, of Gragg, died at the home of a daughter, Mr. J. M. Francum of Lenoir, Monday, September 16, 1963 after an extended illness. He had been making his home here since being sick.
Born in Caldwell County, he was a retired furniture maker and a member of Cary's Flat Baptist Church.
Surviving in addition to his daughter, are his wife, Mrs. Mary Jane Woodruff Crump; eight other daughters, Mrs. Mary Mays of Boone, Mrs. Mary Woodring of Fresno, Ohio, Mrs. Louise Coffey, Mrs. Stella Francum, both of Hudson, Mrs. Edith Hartley of Edgemont, Mrs. Nellie Wallace of Gastonia, Miss Eva and Miss Alma Crump, both of the home; six sons, Lawrence and James, both of Globe, Newton of Prospect, Va., Fred of Maiden, Joe of the home, Jimmy of Lenoir; 47 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and a number of great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 18, 1963 at New Hopewell Baptist Church at Gragg. Burial was in Cary's Flat Cemetery in Avery County.
William Riley "Bill" Crump was a well-known resident of the Wilson Creek area. He had a furniture factory that was run entirely by water power, and he crafted fine, handmade furniture. He also made his own coffin.
Tom T. Hall wrote and recorded a song about Bill Crump – "The Ballad of Bill Crump." The ballad depicts the life of Bill Crump and tells of him making his coffin.
On April 18, 2009, the Wilson Creek Visitor Center, Collettsville, NC (Caldwell County) hosted a Bill Crump Day. A memorial service in honor of Bill Crump was presented by Friends of Wilson Creek. The following is a transcription of the program for the memorial service:
Memorial Service in Honor of Bill Crump
Bill Crump was the great, great grandson of a German Hessian soldier, Connadt Kramm (later known as Conrad Crump) who came to America to fight for the British in the Revolutionary War. He later defected to the American side and was at different times a prisoner of war of both the British and Americans.
After the war he eventually settled west of present day Gamewell in a German Community.
Bill was born in the area of Cajah's Mountain but moved to Edgemont after marrying in 1896 (1894) He finally settled on a plot of land on Wilson Creek between Edgemont and Carey's Flat. He is thought to have had 22 children, 12 by his first wife, Carrie Barlow, and 10 by his second wife, Mary Jane Woodruff.
He was a true mountain man. A rugged, self-sufficient individual with a droll sense of humor. His biggest claim to fame, however, was the fine furniture which he made in his factory run entirely by water power. He set this up himself although he had never worked in a furniture factory elsewhere.
Today we will honor the memory of Bill Crump as we hear from three individuals who knew him. The "individuals" do not represent one specific person but a composite person drawn from talking with numerous people who knew him or remember stories about him.
Obituary-Edited
W.R. "Bill" Crump, 92, of Gragg, died at the home of a daughter, Mr. J. M. Francum of Lenoir, Monday, September 16, 1963 after an extended illness. He had been making his home here since being sick.
Born in Caldwell County, he was a retired furniture maker and a member of Cary's Flat Baptist Church.
Surviving in addition to his daughter, are his wife, Mrs. Mary Jane Woodruff Crump; eight other daughters, Mrs. Mary Mays of Boone, Mrs. Mary Woodring of Fresno, Ohio, Mrs. Louise Coffey, Mrs. Stella Francum, both of Hudson, Mrs. Edith Hartley of Edgemont, Mrs. Nellie Wallace of Gastonia, Miss Eva and Miss Alma Crump, both of the home; six sons, Lawrence and James, both of Globe, Newton of Prospect, Va., Fred of Maiden, Joe of the home, Jimmy of Lenoir; 47 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and a number of great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 18, 1963 at New Hopewell Baptist Church at Gragg. Burial was in Cary's Flat Cemetery in Avery County.
Family Members
-
![]()
Mary Jane Crump Gragg
1872–1968
-
![]()
Boston Asberry Crump
1876–1956
-
![]()
Franklin Ray Crump
1877–1954
-
![]()
Robert Patterson "Bob" Crump
1878–1967
-
![]()
Daniel Boone "Dan" Crump
1880–1976
-
![]()
Theodore Crump
1881–1975
-
![]()
Martha Etta Destimonia "Dessie" Crump Coffey
1883–1968
-
![]()
Thomas Calvin Crump
1884–1967
-
![]()
George Sherman Crump
1887–1921
-
![]()
Lawrence Crump Sr
1895–1979
-
![]()
Infant Son Crump
1898–1898
-
![]()
Francis D Crump Francum
1899–1992
-
![]()
Reittie Mae Crump Mays
1901–1991
-
![]()
James Ernest "Huss" Crump
1903–1987
-
![]()
Newton Claude "Nute" Crump Sr
1905–1975
-
![]()
Fred Crump
1908–1996
-
![]()
Mary Lue Crump Woodring
1910–1995
-
![]()
Arnold Crump
1922–1960
-
![]()
Joseph "Joe" Crump
1923–1974
-
![]()
Nancy Louise Crump Coffey
1924–2003
-
![]()
Edith Margaret Crump Hartley
1926–1999
-
![]()
Eva Margie Crump Pearson
1926–2002
-
![]()
Nellie "Nell" Crump Wallace
1928–2002
-
![]()
Stella Mae Crump Francum
1930–1988
-
![]()
Alma Crump
1932–1994
-
Alma Crump
1932–1994
