Jerrilyn Crabtree

JERRILYN CRABTREE

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Jerrilyn Crabtree, 82, formerly of Silvis, Illinois, passed away on Friday, April 12, 2024, at her daughter’s home after a long battle with the thief of time, talent, and treasure, Alzheimer’s.

There will be no services. The Ralph J. Wittich-Riley-Freers Funeral Home will be in charge of all arrangements. Because Jerri believed that “fine art and music are needed in today’s troubled world, and [art] should be encouraged in our schools and in our children at an early age” please consider any memorials be made to any entity that promotes her philosophy. Likewise, please support artists through the purchase of art wherever you find it. Additionally, memorials may be made by buying a tree in her name. Online condolences may be made at www.wittichfuneralhome.com.

Jerrilyn was born on January 10, 1942, in Geneva, Illinois, the daughter of Rudy and Ida (Thryselius) Frisk. She graduated from Naperville, IL high school, started at Northern Illinois University, and married her high school sweetheart Dennis Crabtree in 1961. They had two children and she left college to be a stay-at-home mom, Girl Scout leader, Resident Camp Counselor, and eventually went back to college to finish her degree. Jerrilyn graduated with her Master’s Degree in Adult Education from Northern Illinois University. She moved to the Quad Cities to administer multiple government programs like CETA at Black Hawk College in Moline. Later at Scott Community College, she was the Director of Student Support Services. In this role, she was an advocate for all persons choosing to improve their lives through education, whether non-traditional or First-Generation students. In addition to administration, she loved to work with students and taught Master Student classes. Jerrilyn retired from Scott Community College in 2002 to pursue her dream of being a full-time artist.

In her own words, the love of painting began later in life with the encouragement of her mother and mother-in-law. In fact, she named her studio, Salvida Studio, after these two women Salva and Ida. Jerri was a self-taught artist with no formal degree. However, she felt that art nourished her soul…, that the creative spirit touches that which is deep within all of us, and that her art would touch something in you, and that you would find your own creative expression in life. Good luck on your journey (Crabtree-Frisk, Artist Statement, n.d.).

In addition to art, Jerrilyn loved the outdoors from mountains to gardening in her own backyard. Whenever she had the opportunity, she would find a way to take her family camping, canoeing, or traveling. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, genealogy, bird watching, and helping her son and his business partners with their estate sales. She was a hard worker, and their best customer. First and foremost, she was a people person. To that end, and in alignment with her philosophy of life, she was a foster parent to numerous children from toddler to teenager.

Jerrilyn is survived by her ex-husband Dennis and her “wife-in-law”, Susan Crabtree, of Arizona; children, Christine Crabtree Compton of Muscatine, and Steven Crabtree and his wife Roxan of Illinois; foster children, Griselda Padilla of Illinois and Thuynga Pham of Florida; five grandchildren, granddaughter Jonna Crabtree Aksancak and husband Deniz of Germany, granddaughters, Kayla Crabtree, Margaret Compton, and Emily Compton and grandson Keaton Crabtree; and one great grandchild, Kaicyn.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and older brothers, Douglas and Gerald Frisk.

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