Robert Fenn Crane passed away peacefully at his home at Crane Orchards on May 15, 2021, of natural causes at the age of 92.
Bob was the youngest of seven children of H.B. and Muriel (Smith) Crane born on June 11, 1928. With the exception of the 3 years he spent in the U.S. Navy, Bob lived at Crane Orchards his entire life. Upon returning to Fennville in 1949 from the Navy he met the love of his life, Luetta Harding. They married on June 23, 1951, and lived and worked together on the farm raising their 5 children. In 1972 they opened Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant after starting a cider pressing business in 1968. They wanted to give visitors the opportunity to visit their fruit farm by offering up one of the first U-Pick orchards in Allegan County and selling fresh Michigan fruit and fresh apple cider in season. The restaurant featured Michigan fruit pies and down-home comfort food and a 10 cent glass of apple cider.
For many years, Bob and Lue spent their days off antiquing and adding to a growing collection of Americana as is evident at Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant. Bob was also a lover of airplanes and learned to fly a small plane at age 16. For many years he loved to fly his single-engine Cessna to the Oshkosh Airshow along with his brother-in-law Ken Carlson. His model airplane collection is on display at Crane’s Pie Pantry Restaurant.
In 1987 Bob and Lue restored his great grandparents’ house across from the Pie Pantry and in ‘88 they filled it with farmhouse antiques and opened The Crane House B and B. They ran a successful inn until 1995 when it became their private residence.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife Lue in 2015. He leaves behind his children, Gary (Sandy Gilley), Rebecca (Leslie Winne), Laura (Scott Bale), Robert Jr. (Maria Kiss), and Nancy (David Roe). He leaves behind one sister Elizabeth Carlson of Holland. He also leaves behind 17 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and memorial donations can be made to the Robert and Luetta Crane Scholarship fund through the Fennville Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 231 Fennville, Michigan 49408. A private memorial will take place later in the summer.
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