7-11-03

My friend, Bobbie Duryea

I was so sorry to hear about your loss.  Bobbie and Ken were our very dear friends, and we had many happy times together at HYC.  I am living in Colorado, near my oldest daughter, Kay and her family.  I have been here for almost 5 years - time does fly by.  I am enjoying my two grandchildren - Aaron - 24 and Ariana - 8-1/2.  I am going to be a great grandmother in October.  I told Aaron I was too young, but of course, that is not true.  Hope all of you are well - send me an e-mail when you have time.  I would loved to be able to attend the memorial service, but just got back from Texas latter part of June.

Love to all of you - Maudie Bell
 

7-14-03

Hey Doug,
I got your message the other day. I'm reallly sorry to hear about
Bobby. She was very sweet to everyone that she had met and gotten to know.
ALOOOOG time ago, right around the time that we moved from Quitman to
Houston, I remember her taking Matt and I out on the sail boat numerous
times, she taught us how to tie several sail knots and how to tie the boats
up properly. She was the ideal Mariner thats for sure. Years ago we would do
the holiday breakfast at her house, and then go to the yacht club for the
holiday dinner or over to Grannys.
Then you have the crab trap senario....She showed Matt and I along with
Larry, how to put the chicken parts or turkey necks in the traps and also
how to reel those suckers in with the string and neck attached only as well.
Yep we would sit on the shoreacrews pier and reel those crabs in left and
right. We would have huge cookouts w/BBQ crabs or some sort of
caserole...man those were good!!

So just know that we are all thinking of you guys and if you need anything,
just give me aring or write me back.
On another note, let me know when the service is going to be at Kens place,
and I'll see about coming down there. So take care and let me now if there
is anything you all need...MIke

 

 7-17-03

Doug and Ellen,

Would like to send our deepest sympathy to you. Bobbie was a
wonderful lady. I remember all the stories and fun we had at Peggy and
Tony's house during the vacations and holidays. Your family is so wonderful
and I am glad Peggy is a part of such a wonderful and lovely family. Our
hearts go out to you.

 Love you all,

 The Barths
 Richard, Mary, Todd, Mary
 (Ft. Laud. FL )
 

 

7-18-03

Hi Doug & Ellen and Tony & Peggy,

I would like to express my sympathy to you and your family on the death of your Mom.Ý I sent her a Christmas letter every year, The Priority News.

Bobbie Duryea taught me how to canoe.Ý During Girl Scout neighborhood weekends at Camp Arnold in Conroe, Texas I would go to the dock and learn canoe strokes after my Brownie Troop had left, and I remained overnight with my mother, Maureen Ammons, who was the First Aider.Ý The three of us would ride across the lake to the spillway (Maureen Ammons in the bow, me as a passenger, and Bobbie in the stern).

Finally I was old enough to paddle the canoe with a friend.Ý I was so confident that I knew all of the strokes perfectly.Ý When we pushed out, and paddled, we found ourselves paddling in circles!Ý I thought this cant be right.Ý But there was Mrs. Duryea paddling to our rescue and letting us know how to use the strokes properly to go straight.

One neighborhood weekend, I watched canoes paddle at night with torches, around Snake Island, to light a floating campfire (orchestrated by Bobbie).Ý When the campfire was over, she swam the fire away from the shore and extinguished it herself.

ÝIn High School, I helped teach Red Cross canoe classes.Ý After I graduated from college I raced canoes and kayaks in the Texas Canoe racing Association.Ý I came in second in womens cruising and second in womens kayaking.Ý I attribute my success in canoeing (and sailing) to the strong foundation that Bobbie gave me.

Our family loved coming to your annual Christmas Eve parties on Evergreen Street.

Your Mom introduced me to the Sierra Club.Ý I will be making a memorial donation to the Outdoor Nature Club

Sincerely,
Mary Ammons Prior
 
 

7-18-03

Doug,

Thanks so much for the notice of your mother's memorial service next
Saturday. Bob and I plan to be there and will bring Mom.

Your mother's death has been so hard to grasp. She was such a
vigorous person. I have so many wonderful memories of her. Some of
the earliest were swimming lessons at the Bellaire swimming pool. And
of course I have so many fond memories of the great times in New
Braunfels with her and all of your family -- the canoeing, tubing on the
Comal, going to Wurstfest, making that wonderful potato salad, the
sausage & kraut dinners for 25 or 30 crowded around the long table,
and all the other wonderful times we had together in New Braunfels.

Then there were some sailing lessons and I crewed for her a couple of
times. We had some nice times at the Yacht Club and the Little Red
House. Her Christmas Eve open houses for so many of her friends.

Bobbie and Mom had additional good times together on the 1990
Elderhostel to Hawaii and all their Botany Group gatherings, not to
mention searching through all their botany books for the strange plants
they came across. I'm attaching two files: one was in the summer of
1971 when they went on a canoeing trip in East Texas with a group of
young people, one of whom I believe was a Durenburger. The other
was in 1989 of Jane, Bobbie & their plant guide in Crested Butte,
Colorado. If the resolution isn't good enough, let me know.

Your mother will be greatly missed. Please extend my sympathy to
Dian, Tony, Ellen, Frank & Peggy.

Margret
 

 

7-18-03

Condolences to Dian, Tony and Doug on the loss of Bobbie.  She was very kind to have taken me in for the summer of 1982 and left me with many strong and happy memories.  She introduced me to Texas - and my experiences there are always of interest to Brits for whom "Texas" looms larger than Alaska.  I look upon my time there under her watchful eye as sort of growing into an adult from a teenager.  My now greying hairs were no doubt accelerated by being a passenger in her car as she negotiate speed limits, gearshifts and other drivers while in pursuit of birds in the air, trees or ground!

Kind regards,
Monica Vondrasek-Price

 
 

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