In December 1945, I was standing in Henry & Hettie Smith's kitchen. I was trying to get Mrs. Tallant to let Wanda (my best friend) go home with me to spend the night. At that moment, in walked Duane. He was on crutches. He had been hitchhiking all the way from El Paso, TX to surprise his family.  He was back home for the first time since going overseas during W.W.II. I don't remember, but I guess I was introduced to him. I knew I might as well go home by myself, for Wanda was going to stick to her brother like glue.  He was home on leave for 6 weeks and then had to go back to El Paso. He was discharged from the United States Army on 4 March 1946.

Some time later, I was standing on a street corner waiting for a bus (Paris did have bus service at that time). A car stopped and the driver asked if he could give me a ride. I smiled and said "Yes". Before I got in the car, he asked if I knew who he was. "Yes, you are Wanda's brother." So he drove me to town to do errands for my mother.

I don't know how often we saw each other after that, just hit and miss. He was just my best friend's brother. In 1947, I went to Dallas to work as a nurses aide at the Scottish Rite Crippled Children's Hospital. I worked over there for about two months, but just had to get back to Paris. Duane and I started dating.

On leap year, right in front of my mother, I asked him to marry me, on bended knee. He said yes. Of course we had already talked about it. The wedding took place on 4 Dec 1948.

Most of the rest is history. He was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Our four children, Chester Duane, Wesley Thomas, Mary Denise and sweet, little Melissa Ann, were all born in four different Counties in Texas, as Duane transferred from job to job. He helped build Whitney and Lewisville/Dallas Dams. The Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas and then to Austin where we put down roots for 42 years. He helped to build the new runways for Bergstrom Air Force Base and when that was completed we did not want to leave Austin. Duane transferred to the Civil Service and stayed at Bergstrom until he retired in 1978.

Duane's hobby was woodworking. He loved to build furniture and our home was overrun with pieces he has built. He sold many cedar chests and was even written up in a wood working magazine featuring his Hope Chests made from cedar. Duane worked the sports events at The University of Texas, baseball being his favorite. He also worked the sports for Austin ISD, mostly the football games. He volunteered at the South Austin Medical Center for 11 years.

After the major heart attack in May 1998 he fought for a good recovery looking forward to working the baseball games for 1999. We flew to Lubbock to visit a grandson in Nov 1998, drove to Paris for Christmas in 1998 and he did work most of the baseball games in 1999.

He passed away on 23 April 1999 at home in Austin. He was a wonderful man, and is missed by so many. To his children he was Daddy, to his nine grandchildren; Karen Jo Tallant, Kevin Lee Tallant, Kimberly Marie Tallant, Larry Lee Rhea, Brian Duane Rhea, Jonathan Edward Tallant, Michael Ray Tallant, Kari Denise Rhea and Patrick Ryan Grace, he was PEPA, to me he was the best friend, pal, and husband in the world.

Duane and his descendents on Christmas Day, 1997

We all met at Tim and Melissa's home in Longview, TX.  It was the last time we were all together as a group.  Melissa and Tim did not come home in 1998 and Duane had gone home in 1999.  Wilma Rhea, mother of Larry Rhea, is pictured with us also.  Since this picture was taken, Elizabeth D'Lynn Grace, Jacob Thomas Grace and Kamdyn Marie Bailey are now a part of our family as well as Larry Lee's wife, Christi.  Brian has married Laura and Kari and Josiah have also wed.  Aidan Lee Rhea was born in 2004 and Sophia Grace Rhea in 2007.  He would have been so proud of our ever growing family!

Duane's Family at the 2003 Tallant Reunion

Tim Grace holding Jacob Grace, Melissa Tallant Grace holding Kami Bailey, Janet Lowe Tallant & Wesley Tallant, Mary Posey Tallant, Chester & Martha Lowe Tallant, Michael & Kevin Tallant. Patrick Grace, Kari Rhea & Josiah Daniel, Denise Tallant Rhea & Larry Rhea.  Kim Tallant, Karen Tallant Bailey, LarryLee & Christi Wood Rhea and Elizabeth Grace.  We were all there but Jonathan Tallant, Brian Rhea and Laura Swasko.