Judith L. Craig

Judith L. Craig passed away peacefully on March 22, 2026, in Surprise, AZ. Though we grieve her absence, we know she rests joyfully in the arms of Jesus, surrounded by angels. She was a tireless woman of faith who shared God’s love with everyone she met.
She was born May 25, 1940, on her maternal grandparents’ farm, to Laverne (nee Pennings) and Harold Bissonette. Born premature and weighing barely 3 lbs., it was feared she would not survive. Her grandmother swaddled her and placed her in a warm drawer in the kitchen cook stove, creating a simple incubator. With many prayers and the healing touch her grandmother was known for, she thrived. This was only the beginning of the miraculous healings in her life. In early childhood, she often recounted, she prayed for relief from an earache, and it suddenly disappeared. Years later, she would pray for miraculous healings for others, and they happened. Throughout her life, she believed in the power of prayer and was a living testament to God’s love.
When she was very young her parents divorced and her mother remarried George Berndt. Judy loved George, he was a supportive and caring father to her. Although George never officially adopted Judy she was known throughout childhood as Judy Berndt.
Growing up in the small town of Antigo, WI, Judy attended Peace Lutheran School and Antigo High School. She was active in 4-H and school plays and passionate about horses. Judy and her horse, Happy, were often seen in local parades.
Her desire as a young girl was to be in ministry. However, in the 1950s, women in the Lutheran church could not be pastors, so Judy decided the next best thing would be to become a nurse.
But in 1957, she met a charming, handsome young man from the local radar base, Dick Craig. Quickly, they became sweethearts, and Judy’s nursing career was put on hold as she chose to marry Dick and become a wife and mother to their daughter, Kelly, and son, Tom.
In 1976, she finally enrolled at John A. Logan College in Illinois to become a Licensed Practical Nurse. In 1978, she graduated first in her class. Judy went on to have a thirty-year career in nursing, starting in Carbondale, Illinois. She returned to Antigo in 1982, where she worked at the Antigo General Clinic until her retirement in 2006. Judy was a beloved nurse, blessing everyone with her optimism and faith.
Even while packing and moving her family 17 times during their careers throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois, Judy was a great encourager. She was loved by every community she was a part of, including the Phoenix, AZ area, where she and Dick spent their retirement years near their children.
Through all of her moves, Judy remained an active member of the church and fulfilled her life goal of serving in ministry. She served as a lay pastor and featured speaker at churches in Antigo, WI, and Surprise, AZ. Sharing God’s word and becoming a faith leader were highlights of her life.
Judy was also an accomplished and passionate seamstress and quilter. In 1966, while Dick served in Vietnam, she took up cake decorating with great success. One of her cakes, shaped like a Polaris snowmobile, made the local paper’s front page!
Judy is survived by her husband, Richard T. Craig; her two children, Kelly (Craig) Emme and husband Jeff, and Tom Craig and wife Tacia; six grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren.
The oldest of 8 children, Judy loved her siblings. She has 6 sisters, Jane, Diane, Georgia, Kim, Kyle, Kay, and the youngest, her brother Kurt.
Judy lived her life caring for everyone, and knowing it or not, they were held and blessed in her prayers.
There will be a memorial service for Judy on May 5, 2026 at 1pm at Sun City West Christian Church, 20803 N 151st., Sun City West, AZ.