CHARLES CRAIG
Financial Secretary
Charles "Charlie" Craig was born October 3, 1888, in Oban, Argyll, Scotland. He died July 16, 1981, in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. His father was William McKenzie Craig (1845–1924), and his mother was Elizabeth Craig (née McPhie, 1853–1937).
In the 1910s, a slowing economy caused many U.K. families to follow the jobs that had moved to other countries. Finding themselves in the same situation, Charles Craig's family considered emigrating to South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, or the United States. Since the fare to Canada was cheapest and Craig's father was opposed to moving to the U.S., the first few Craig siblings made their way to Winnipeg, Canada, in 1914. After a year, however, they found the weather to be too cold. Their McPhie uncles had settled in Utah several years earlier and encouraged the Craigs to join them in the city of Ogden, which the Craigs did. The rest of the family, including 17-year-old Charles Craig, moved from Scotland to Ogden in 1906.
Unfortunately, economic difficulties were also present in the U.S., and Craig found himself out of work in 1908. His cousin, Daniel M. McPhie, had just returned from the Navy and was also looking for employment. Unable to pay for transportation, the two cousins walked from Ogden to Salt Lake City. Here, they caught wind that the Utah Copper Company needed workers at the mine in the Oquirrh Mountains. Following this tip, Craig and McPhie walked from Salt Lake City to Garfield (now a ghost town), where Craig was lucky enough to secure a job. After his time at the Utah Copper Company, Craig worked at Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) and subsequently as a salesman with Kelley & Co. Stationers for over 50 years.
Craig was active in the Scottish community and became a member of the Thistle club. Together with a concertina player, he played the piano for the club's Scottish dancers, which included his sister and youngest sibling, Elizabeth "Bessie" Craig (1894–1989). In 1911, Clan Stewart No. 207 of the Order of Scottish Clans (OSC) was established in Salt Lake City, and Craig was installed as its first secretary. He also served as the financial secretary for the Salt Lake Scottish Club.
In 1917, Craig married Amelia Harriet Hadfield (1890–1977) in Ogden. Together, they had four children: Glen Charles (1918–2012), Robert William (1921–2001), Mary Elizabeth (1924–1955), Stuart (born 1927), and Gordon Hadfield (1930–1934). Craig's wife died in 1977, and in 1979 he married Gretta Baer Smith (1909–2000) in Elko, Nevada.
Craig was a cofounder of the Utah Pipe Band in 1937. Among the other cofounders were his brother (Angus Craig) and cousin (Daniel M. McPhie).
In 1981, Craig died in Salt Lake City at the age of 92.
