Emerson Germarion "E. G.” Crawford was born 22 June 1918 in Macon County, North Carolina; he died May 10, 2002. E. G. is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marjorie Honeycutt Crawford; son, Dr. Emerson G. Crawford Jr. and his wife, Kay Hall; daughter, Marilyn Crawford and her husband, Jerrold A. Smith, and three grandchildren.
E. G. was the son of Charles W. and Lillie Jane Higdon Crawford. His grandparents were Samuel A. Higdon and Harriett Matilda Berry. Samuel A. Higdon (13 Jan. 1849 - 23 July 1916) was the seventh child of William H. Higdon and Jane Buchanan.
E. G. Crawford was among those who attended the 1975 organizational meeting and first meeting of The Higdon Family Association, Inc. in 1976. He eventually inherited the homesite of Major William Huffman Higdon, where an annual reunion of the Higdon family has been held each September since 1899.
E. G. was a graduate of Franklin High School and Western Carolina University. He served as principal of Cowee Elementary School from 1941 until his induction into the Army in September 1943. Emerson served as a medic in the 382nd Regiment of the 96th Infantry Division. He was wounded at Okinawa. After recuperating for two years in army hospitals, he returned to Macon County, North Carolina, in 1947. First he served as the principal of Slagle High School in Cartoogechaye, but was later assigned as a teacher and the principal of Otto Elementary School. During his 30 year career at Otto Elementary School, he helped it become the first state-accredited school in Macon County.
