History of Early Pioneer Families of Hood River, Oregon. Compiled by Mrs. D.M. Coon

MR. AND MRS. MICHAEL CRAFT                         18__

     Michael Craft was born in Mercer County, Ohio, March 3, 1858. He came to Mosier in 18__ where he farmed twenty acres of orchard land, located near the home of his step-father, J.P. Carroll.
     On August 8, 1906 he was married to Miss Nancy Patience Cooper of Hood River. Miss Cooper was the youngest child of a family of twelve children, she came to the Willamette Valley in 1864 with her parents making her home with them as long as they lived. In the year 18__ her sister, Mrs. Lizzie Mann, died leaving a family of children. Patience took the infant girl, Ann Mann, becoming a mother to her as far as possible. She furnished her a home, gave her school advantages and a business training that served her well and she became a teacher in the schools of Alaska.
     Later Miss Mann married and had a home of her own in Seattle. It was there that Miss Cooper came to Hood River and made her home with another niece, Miss Nan Cooper, of the Upper Valley who was engaged in teaching near Mt. Hood Settlement. Both Miss Patience Cooper and Miss Nan Cooper took homesteaded on Bald Butte and made their home there and it was here that Miss Patience Cooper met Mr. Craft and became his wife. Their home was known as "Sky Ranch" and they lived there until 1911 when they moved to the Middle Valley, few miles south of Odell. In June 1929 they leased their Middle Valley farm and moved to Portland. In December Mrs. Craft went to Seattle on a visit and during her absence Mr. Craft was taken ill with pneumonia; she returned as soon as word reached her and he appeared to rally but heart weakness developed and he passed away suddenly.
     The funeral services were held at Miller and Tracy's parlors. He was buried at Multnomah cemetery under the auspices of the I.O.O.F.

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