Imagine knowing one of the most prominent sculptors of her time and watching her give it all up to answer the call of her country. Stepping up and sacrificing was the answer to a call to duty from Uncle Sam in World War II.

In her hometown newspaper, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee, Marie Jackson Craig was described as having magic fingers and the power to create beauty. [i] As a child, she’d make little things like flowers and figures from the sticky mud in her yard.[ii]

Marie Jackson Craig was the daughter of Charles “Charlie” H. and Lillian M. Crissman[iii] Craig. [iv] The couple, both from Tennessee, had married in 1903 and had their first child, Charles C. Craig, in 1904 and Marie followed in 1906[v]. The young family lived in a rental house in Memphis, Tennessee. Marie’s father supported them by working as an assistant cashier in a bank.[vi]

By 1920, the family now lives in a house they own on Vinton Avenue in Memphis. Marie and her brother are teenagers. Charlie is now the vice-president of a bank.

Later. the family lived at 3631 South Galloway Drive. In those years, her father was the vice-president of First National Bank.[vii]

Growing up in Memphis, Marie went to the Bruce School. Later, she graduated from Central High School.[viii] It was in high school that her teachers recognized and encouraged her talent.[ix]

During these years, she enjoyed being active with her friends. One thing she enjoyed was putting on character sketches as entertainment at a tea.[x] Marie volunteered to tell stories to children at the library[xi] and she danced at a pageant, performing both a Greek and a colonial dance.[xii] And notably for the woman who steps up and joins the Army later in life, she performed for the Suffrage Club.[xiii] During World War I, Marie joined others in presenting plays and skits to entertain the soldiers.[xiv] Later, she was involved in numerous plays, skits and readings. She was an officer in the Junior Drama League.[xv]

A variety of activities took place during a fun senior’s day at her Central High School. Marie performed a reading and then graduated later in the day on January 31, 1924.[xvi] She was what was called a mid-winter senior.[xvii]

The year was a banner year for Marie – from graduate to bride. Her engagement was announced in early September of 1924 to Charles Dudley Robinson. The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported that he was one of the prominent businessmen of West Point, Mississippi and from an old, distinguished family of the Delta.[xviii] Charles Robinson was 24[xix] and Marie was 18.

The fall of 1924, Marie’s wedding was “an event of wide interest,” according to the newspaper. She married Charles Dudley Robinson[xx] on November 11, 1924.[xxi] The young couple were married at Marie’s parents’ home in the presence of a minister.[xxii]

In the Great Depression years, Marie and Charles are living in his hometown of West Point. Charles owns a grocery store. The couple live in a home they own. It’s unknown if Marie is working at her art at this time. The U.S. Census for her occupation is blank.[xxiii]

It’s not known what happened between Marie and Charles but by the 1940 U.S. Census, Marie has returned to using her maiden name of Craig and lists herself as single. Charles Robinson lists himself as divorced.

HER LIFE BEFORE MILITARY

Between her earlier married years in Mississippi and the arrival of the war years, Marie had thrown herself into her art by studying and sculpting.

For two years, from 1934 to 1935, Marie studied at the James Lee Memorial Academy of Arts,[xxiv] which was eventually the Memphis College of Art.[xxv] Her work won her scholarships to the Fine Arts Museum in Boston.[xxvi] The scholarship was one with an entry titled “Garden Statuary from Life.”[xxvii]

By 1935, The James Lee Memorial Academy of Arts was sharing Marie’s work by loaning her prize-winning sculpture, “The Fountain” to be exhibited in the foyer of the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis.[xxviii]

An accomplished artist, her work was exhibited around the nation in places such as the Chicago Institute and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts at Philadelphia. She was a member of the Southern States Art Club and the Women’s Painters and Sculptors Club.[xxix] A writer for The Commercial Appeal noted that “…progress in her work has given her entrée into the finest schools of the world.”[xxx]

The fall of 1938 found Marie in Europe. She studied at the L’Ecoledes Beaux Arts[xxxi] at Palais de Fontainebleau, a centuries old home of kings and later Napoleon. Much of her time was spent in a private studio working with her instructor, Denis Gelin.[xxxii] A French sculptor, Gelin made sculptures and statues on buildings and for public squares throughout France and Canada that are still displayed today.[xxxiii] In addition, she studied in Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and England.[xxxiv]

Pinkish Tennessee marble was the medium for one of her sculptures which was named “A Study in Marble.” Made in 1939,[xxxv] a girl sat motionless for hours modeling for Marie’s sculpture. Marie first made a clay figure then the figure was sketched on a block of stone. After that, Marie then carved the stone with chisels and mallet, drills and files. Finally, it was smoothed and polished with a emery cloth.[xxxvi]

Following her additional training in Europe, Marie opened a studio in Boston. She worked there making works of art in marble and bronze in her clay-stained overalls. It was there that Marie created “Lilith” a marble reclining maiden which was exhibited at the Chicago Art Institute and the New York Whitney Museum. “Autumn” her figure of a child with grapes, was shown at the New York World Fair. The Commercial Appeal noted in their article that no attempt could be made to catalog all the statues, busts and figures made by Marie nor all the many galleries where they were exhibited.[xxxvii]

During the year 1940, the U.S. Census shows her living in Memphis but the Boston City Directory shows her living in Boston. With her strong ties to Memphis and her studio in Boston, it is likely she spent time in both cities.[xxxviii]

Her work, Jesus and other Biblical figures, can also be seen at the Crystal Grotto at the Memphis Memorial Park Cemetery.[xxxix] The director of the James Lee Memorial Academy of Arts said Marie had set a standard for art in Memphis.[xl]

See a photo of Marie Craig's "Seated Nude" sculpture at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art website.

HER MILITARY STORY

As the war years arrived, Marie Craig took time from her sculptures to train as a nurse’s aide.

In October of 1942, Marie took on a vastly different role from her work as an artist. She enlisted in the WACs. At the time of her enlistment, Marie, then divorced, listed her residence as Sequatchie, Tennessee and her occupation as an artist. She enlisted at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia on October 7th, 1942. Her service number was A-403056.[xli]

Following enlistment, she headed to basic training in January in Fort Des Moines, Iowa. There, she trained as a specialist in the Motor Transport Division.[xlii] Corporal[xliii] Marie J. Craig then served in the Motor Transport Division of the WACs.[xliv]

\

While in Boston, she was close to her brother, Charles, who was then the American Red Cross director in Boston.[xlv] Charles had left his Boston law practice to serve with the Red Cross during the war.[xlvi]

HER LAST DAY

On her last day, Marie was on night duty on August 5th, 1943, and working in an Army mail truck. She was the passenger with Private Elsie Robinson of Lincoln, Nebraska at the wheel. The two were taking the mail to the Patchogue, New York railroad station.[xlvii]

In Brookhaven Village, New York, a terrible collision occurred between her mail truck and a quarter-ton delivery truck driven by civilian Wesley H. Hallock, age 71. [xlviii]

When the vehicles came to rest, Hallock was killed, crushed in the truck cab. Corporal Marie Craig was pinned underneath the mail truck. Private Robinson was injured with a broken leg and several fractured ribs.[xlix]

Marie did not survive.

It was revealed by her father, after her death, that she had already signed back up to remain a WAC.[l]

She was 37.

COMMENDATIONS

Corporal Marie J. Craig received the following honors:

World War II Victory Medal

American Campaign Medal

Army Presidential Unit Citation

Army Good Conduct Medal[li]

MEMORIALS

1945 – One of Marie Craig’s award-winning works. “A Study in Marble” was presented to the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, now the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. The gift was made by her parents as a memorial and accepted by the city’s mayor. Prior to becoming part of the permanent collection, it was on loan to Brooks for several years.[lii]

1947 – As part of a City Beautiful Commission, in Memphis, Tennessee, Corporal Marie Jackson Craig was memorialized with a dogwood tree planted on the east embankment of Riverside Drive. The tree was given in her memory by her parents.[liii]

HER GRAVE

Corporal Marie Jackson Craig was buried in her hometown of Memphis. The funeral was held at the National Funeral Home. Reverend Joseph Owen officiated. She was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery.[liv]

ABOUT THIS STORY

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

ADD TO THIS STORY

If you noticed anything missing in this profile, you may contact the author. Click on the author’s name located at the bottom of the story page next to the words “added by.” Click on the author’s name to find the contact link.