Mike Crawford

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Mike Crawford, owner of Crawford Furniture & Mattress Outlet in Chesterfield, has announced he is running for the District 4 board seat on the Lynches River Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees. The seat was previously held by the late Jimmy Freedom, and is currently held by appointee Donald Sellers.

“Mr. Jimmy did a great job and represented District 4 with integrity. If I am successful in my bid to win this seat, I hope I can one day be as knowledgeable and effective as he,” Crawford said. “We will truly miss his excellent representation.”

Crawford’s grandfather, John Rufus “Ruf” Crawford, was a founding board member of the Cooperative in 1939. “Granddaddy was instrumental in bringing electricity to our entire area and especially the Snow Hill community,” he said. “I didn’t realize that he had played such a roll in the founding of the Co-op until my Uncle Horace Crawford enlightened me.”

Crawford is a lifetime member of Chesterfield Baptist Church, a 33-year veteran of the Chesterfield Fire Department and he has served as the president of the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce. He is married to the former Jennifer Shoemake, a teacher at Chesterfield-Ruby Middle School. They have two children, 11 year old Mackenzie and 7 year old Michael. His father, the late Charlie Crawford, founded Crawford Furniture in downtown Chesterfield in 1962. Crawford’s mother, Mrs. Ellen Crawford, formerly Ellen Deese from Pageland, worked as an accountant in Chesterfield until she retired. Her brother, Crawford’s Uncle Harry “Goober” Deese, is retired and lives in Pageland.

The Lynches River Electric Cooperative 2011 Annual Meeting will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, at Central High School in Pageland. Voting starts at 8 a.m.