Ruby Elaine Stroud Crabtree, 85, of Springfield, MO, passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2016 at Cox Medical Center South. She was born on Sept. 10, 1931 in Webster County, MO to Earl and Sybil Stroud.

She attended the Missouri Baptist School of Nursing in St. Louis and earned a B.A. and M.Ed Degree from Drury College. She was the Assistant and Acting Operating Room Supervisor at Burge Hospital and Cox Medical Center. She then became an instructor at the Burge School of Nursing. She later became the President of Cox College of Nursing and Health Related Sciences.

She loved beading, vacationing with her husband in New Mexico, and spending time with her grandsons and family. She loved going to shooting competitions with black powder guns with the Ozark Mountain Muzzleloaders. She was also involved with the Reach to Recovery with breast cancer patients, the Greene County Central Committee, and was a Camp Fire Girl group leader.

Elaine was preceded in death by her loving husband of 50 years, George William Crabtree and sister Alice Elizabeth "Betty" Hoagland.

She is survived by her daughter, Cira Crabtree, grandchildren Ian and Samuel Link, and great-grandchildren Adam and Evan Link.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2016 at 1:00 pm at St. John's Episcopal Church. A visitation will be held on Friday, Sept. 16, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Elaine Crabtree Endowment Fund, PO Box 8131, Springfield, MO 65890.