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This is a record of burials, cemetery by cemetery.
This is a record of burials for one cemetery.
| Brothers, Royal Duane 213843 |
| Birth: 08/31/1928 Death: Marriage: 03/04/1949 |
| Cemetery: Long (SOUTHWEST) |
| Record Source: |
| Update info |
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If you copy this information, please cite this as your source: Betsy Mills and Ron Brothers. The Death and Cemetery Records of Lamar County, Texas, ReBroMa Press, 2008, http://www.lamarcountytx.org/cemetery. (12/17/2025) |
| Notes The following was written by Duane in response to a request for information written in his own words. Royal Duane Brothers was named after his father Royal Pantha Brothers. He lived in Ft. Worth, where he was born, with his parents until they relocated to Lamar County around 1931. Duane (his given name) attended school in Powderly and graduated from Powderly High School in 1946. During his school years he was a member of the Boy Scouts of America and participated in high school basket ball. He was an average student, however he graduated number three in his senior class and was elected 'Class Poet'. At his Graduation Commencement he was required to recite a poem he composed that included the names of every member of his class. The following is excerpts from that poem which he titled 'TOGETHER.' 'Together we have climbed the hill, Have downed defeat and conquered fear, Together we have stormed the years, Edwina, Duane, Dovie and Bill. Yes, there was James who led the class, His skill at math, no one should surpass, And there was Gene...' During school Duane engaged in the usual prank activities enjoyed by most teenagers of that era. A particular prank that probably went down in the school history was the case of the rubber volley ball bladder. At that time the school was heated by wood burning stoves. Duane decided one day that he would find out what would happen if a rubber bladder (lining) was put on top of the red hot stove. Needless to say, it caused a tremendous stink and the evacuation of that portion of the school plus a good tanning from the belt of the school principal. Duane was innovative in many ways during his young years. His first innovative endeavor was to reduce unnecessary classroom work, so he cut the pages out of his first grade reader so he wouldn't have to read in front of the class. It didn't work. Duane rapidly grew into young adulthood and was finally permitted to drive the family car, a 1932 Chevy, to attend a basketball game at the school. On the same night, Duane's brother Thomas, was allowed to drive the second family vehicle, a 1932 Chevy truck, to the same game. Thomas, not knowing Duane had the other car, thought Duane was to drive his car home and he was to walk home, which he did. When Duane drove into the driveway his father asked where the other car was, not knowing Thomas was already home. When it was discovered that one car was left at the school, both Duane and Thomas was made to walk back to school to retrieve it. Both were grounded for a time. During his high school years, Duane worked with his brothers and sisters on their small farm in Powderly. All the Brothers children helped with harvesting and canning vegetables to supply them through the winter months. After Duane graduated from High school he attended Paris Commercial College in Paris, TX, majoring in business administration. Upon completion of his studies there he was unable to find suitable employment in Paris, therefore he moved to Dallas and lived with his sister Birmah where he worked at a gasoline service station for about one year. He then applied and was accepted at the Proctor and Gamble Manufacturing Co. He worked there for a short period when he discovered he was allergic to the chemicals used in manufacturing soap powders. In desperation Duane volunteered for the Army on March 12, 1948. Within one week he was in uniform, put on a troop train and shipped to Fort Ord in Monterey, California. Prior to his enlisting in the Army, Duane had joined the U.S. Naval Reserve. When the Army discovered he was a member of both the Navy and Army at the same time a discharge form the Navy had to be effected. This was accomplished without problems and he was issued an honorable discharge from the Navy along with five dollars back pay. Duane underwent 16 weeks of intensive infantry training at Fort Ord. During this training he developed pneumonia and was hospitalized for five weeks. Upon discharge he had to start his training over and complete 16 weeks of training. After he completed this training he volunteered for Airborne (parachute) training and was shipped to Fort Benning, GA. He completed the parachute training after five weeks and five parachute jumps. He then completed glider training and after required glider flights he was assigned to the Parachute School as a Jumpmaster Instructor. During his assignment at the school a buddy invited him on a blind date with Louise Mildred Clark who was boarding with him and his family. This date proved to be the most important event in Duane's life. After only four months of courtship Duane married Louise in a small town there in Georgia named Cusseta in Chattahatche County on March 5, 1949. Duane was a Private First Class and had very little money to support a wife, therefore he continued to make parachute jumps from airplanes because he was paid an extra $50.00 per month for making those jumps. He made over 150 parachutes before he was injured in Korea and could jump no more. On July 4, 1950 Duane and Louise were blessed with a daughter. She was a healthy eight pound baby. They named the baby Sherry Elaine. She was not named after any particular person. On July 6, 1953 they were blessed again with a second daughter. The second baby only weighed 4 pounds and 10 ounces at birth. She remained in an incubator with breathing apparatus attached. She survived and became a healthy child. She was named Debra Ann, again after no one in particular. Prior to the birth of Debra, Duane was shipped overseas to Japan. While there and during Louise's pregnancy, Duane was severely injured while making a parachute jump, Louise contracted the mumps and a severe tornado struck Columbus, GA where Louise was living. All this happened during the latter period of her pregnancy with Debra. With all the hardships and with the Lord's help, Duane and Louise prevailed and their family survived. Duane was medically evacuated back to Fort Gordon, GA from Japan in time to be with Louise during the birth of Debra. After Duane's recuperation he was assigned to the Infantry School at Fort Benning as a clerk to the Director of the school (then Colonel Eisenhower). After serving in that position Duane was accepted in the Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina for duty with the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Once again catastrophic events struck Duane's family. Louise's mother was stricken with cancer and with no one else to care for her, she came to live with him and was nursed by Louise. As time passed she became seriously ill and Duane was required to take a Compassionate Transfer back to Ft. Benning so that Louise's mother could be at her home during her last days of her life. After her mother went to be with the Lord and after a brief stay at Fort Gordon, Duane was again transferred overseas. Duane was sent to Mannheim, Germany where he was assigned to the Inspector General's Division at Seventh Army. This assignment took him over the entire West German area where he inspected U.S. Army installations. This proved to be the longest assignment at one location lasting three years and three months. Louise and both children joined Duane in Germany and enjoyed touring most of the country including Paris, France. Upon completion of this assignment Duane and his family were transferred back to Fort Benning where he was assigned to the Infantry Center. After a brief stay, Duane was accepted for assignment to the University of Tennessee for duty with the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He was assigned duties as the administrative non-commissioned officer of his unit. This assignment lasted two and a half years, then he was sent overseas again. This time he was sent to the Seventh U.S. Army Infantry Division as First Sergeant. In December 1967 Duane had completed his assignment and again was reassigned to Fort Benning. Duane had become dissatisfied with being sent back to Fort Benning every time he was reassigned so he went to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and requested a diversion of his assignment to Fort Gordon. He was granted this diversion and was assigned to the U.S. Army Signal School at Fort Gordon. As the First Sergeant of the 95th Civil Affairs Group where he remained until her retired form the army on September 30, 1967. Upon retirement, Duane applied for employment with the U.S. Civil Service Commission. He was advised that Federal Law required him to be retired for a period of at least 180 days before he was eligible for employment as a Civil Servant. He then accepted temporary employment with Orkin Pest Control Company as a sales representative. He was doing well with the company but when the 180 days had expired he was notified to report for employment with the Civil Service. Duane started his second career as a Clerk Typist (GS-2) in April 1868 at Fort Gordon Signal School. He later applied and was accepted for a career internship. This internship involved hands on training in all phases of the logistical support requirements of the U.S. Army. During this training he was accepted at the Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, GA where he majored in Applied Sciences. He earned his degree in science in 1982 at the age of 54. Duane went on to undertake studies in the Army Logistics Training Management Center in Fort Lee, VA. He also completed the Procurement Officers Course from the Department of Defense and numerous other courses of study from the Air Force Technical College in Dayton, Ohio. Duane was systematically promoted for GS-2 to GS-12 during his 18 years service with the U.S. Army Civil Service Commission. He was assigned to Fort Gordon, GA, Fort McClellan, AL, Fort Eustis, VA and Fort Lee, VA during his Civil Service career. Upon completion of 18 years a law was enacted by Congress to allow for consolidation of military time with Civil Service time for retirement purposes. Duane elected to consolidate his 21 years military and time with his Civil service time and retired with 39 years active service. He retired in Augusta, GA and after two years of retirement life he began his third career as a Deputy Sheriff with the Richmond County Sheriff's Department in Augusta. |