Durr, LeRoy A. 'Slim' 1918-2011
DURR, EGGEN, BIRCH, HOWE, GREY, WHISTLER, FIELDS, LORANG, FRESE
Posted By: Pat Thorndike (email)
Date: 10/20/2011 at 18:49:30
LeRoy Atherton Durr
LeRoy Atherton Durr was born on April 14, 1918, in McGregor, Iowa, on the Mississippi River to his Norwegian mother, Hilma Eggen, and German father, Arthur Durr. He had seven brothers and sisters, all of whom preceded him in death.
He was married to Pauline Viola Howe in 1947. They had eight children; Jim, Judy, Bill, Donna, Sheila, Carla, Rhonda and Leo. There are 24 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and six great great grandchildren.
LeRoy “Slim” was a hard worker who helped many people and had many friends. As a child he rose at 4 a.m. every weekday morning to grease the wheels of the buggy his parents used with teams of horses to deliver the mail. During his long life he had many jobs including taxi driver and interstate truck driver. He also built many bridges all over Iowa, and was a heavy equipment operator, which brought him to California in 1961 where he did construction and worked in the oil fields in southern California.
He retired at the age of 70, then worked at a recycling center and owned a tow truck. Shortly after his wife died, he moved to Southern Humboldt and spent 13 years here surrounded by his family.
He was generous, loved to joke, play dominoes, read novels and newspapers, do crossword puzzles, watch the news and weather, watch western movies on TV and he was an avid poker player. He especially loved all the babies and little kids and gave the $2 bills for good luck.
He died just before his 93rd birthday on March 2, 2011.
The family would like to thank Hospice of Redwoods and the Skilled Nursing Facility at Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville for their care and compassion.
Private family services will be held at a later date.
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Added by Mary Durr Durrturds@aol.com on 10/28/2011:
LeRoy Atherton Durr
LeRoy Atherton Durr died just before his 93rd birthday on March 2, 2011, in California where he and his family reside. Private family services were held at a later date.
LeRoy Atherton Durr was born April 14, 1918 in the Mississippi River town of McGregor, Iowa to his Norwegian mother, Hilma Eggen, and German father, Arthur Durr. He was the last member of this family.
He was married to Viola G. Birch October 9, 1938. Two children were born to this union: James and William. LeRoy and Viola divorced in 1945.
He married Pauline Viola (Howe) Grey January 2, 1947. Pauline had a daughter, Judy Grey. So LeRoy and Pauline combined their two families, making a total of 3 children and added five more to make a total of eight children: Jim, William, Judy, Donna, Sheila, Carla, Rhonda and Leo. LeRoy had 24 grandchildren, 33 great grandchildren and six great great grandchildren.
LeRoy "Slim" was a hard worker who helped many people and had many friends. As a child he rose at 4 a.m. every weekday morning to grease the wheels of the buggy his parents used with teams of horses to deliver the mail. During his long life he had many jobs, including taxi driver and interstate truck driver. He also built many bridges all over Iowa, and was a heavy equipment operator, which brought him to California in 1961 where he did construction and worked in the oil fields in southern California.
He retired at the age of 70, then worked at a recycling center and owned a tow truck. Shortly after his wife died, he moved to Southern Humboldt, California and spent the last 13 years here surrounded by his family.
He was generous, loved to joke, play dominoes, read novels and newspapers, do crossword puzzles, watch the news and the weather, watch western movies on TV, and he was an avid poker player. He especially loved all the babies and little kids and gave them $2 bills for good luck.
He was preceded in death by his second wife, Pauline Viola (Howe) Grey Durr, February 1, 1996; father, Arthur, September 26, 1951; his mother, Hilma, July 20, 1976; four sisters: Ruth Maud (Robert) Agnew Whistler, December 21, 1979; Olive Susan (Everett) Fields; Norma Elinore (Jack) LoRang, June 21, 1993; Elizabeth Helen (Ben) Frese, April 7, 2010 and three brothers: infant Morris Durr, November 20-22, 1922; Kenneth Harold (Naomi) Durr, July 22, 2009 and Everett Eugene (Dorothy) Durr, 2001.
LeRoy is survived by all of his children.
The family would like to thank Hospice of the Redwoods and the Skilled Nursing Facility at Jerold Phelps Community Hospital in Garberville, California for their card and compassion.
Extracted and composed from a California newspaper obituary clipping and family information.
Clayton Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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