James Crites

James Alfred Crites, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Sept. 7, 2003, at his residence.

He was born Jan. 24, 1927, at Vineland, Mo., son of Louis and Mary Hinton Crites. He and Bessie Mae Parsons were married June 14, 1952, at Piggott, Ark.

A graduate of Cape Central High School, Crites served in the U.S. Army from April 1945 to December 1946. He worked for various truck lines in St. Louis for 17 years before returning to Cape Girardeau, where he drove a city bus for 2 1/2 years. He worked for the Cape Girardeau Police Department and was retained as chief of detectives in 1978. He worked for the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department until his retirement in 1980. He then worked as a self-employed painter until 1994.

He was a member of the Cape Girardeau Calvary Temple and a past member of the Cape Girardeau Law Enforcement Association and the Cape Girardeau Elks Club.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Sandra Weiss of St. Louis and Janet Huber of Oak Ridge; two sisters, Betty Lou Johnson of Fredericktown, Mo., and JoAnn Lowes of Dexter, Mo.; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a sister.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Jack Cathcart will officiate with burial in the Memorial Park Mausoleum in Cape Girardeau. Military graveside rites will be performed by VFW Post 3838.