Duane Crowder

Duane Crowder (Terre Haute Tribune Star)

Duane was a good man. My mother worked for him as a health care provider. She provided in-home care for him and his wife Lois. There's was a love that lasted a lifetime. It started with a soldier, home on leave, and a chance meeting with a lovely young women. Then from that day forward they were always together and never apart. This is the basis of their future example of love, loyalty, and devotion for their family. They were both blessed in finding each other. Their lives together is a true story of love and kindness.

Duane was a postman. Rain, snow, and ice, nothing stopped him from his job. He had a family of four to take care of. His three sons Mike, Denny, Gary and their mother Lois. Lois did not work outside her home; she was a homemaker. He always referred to his children as "the boys." He put each one of his boys through college. Each dollar that was spent was a joy to Duane. Again, he was taking care of his family.

I remember a story he told us. One day on his mail route, he came upon a baby robin that had been abandoned by his mother. He picked the baby bird up and took it home. The boys helped him find worms and they smashed them up and feed them to the baby bird. As it grew it was set free. It would always return. The bird would land on one of their shoulders and go everywhere they went with them. The bird returned every spring to visit. Then one year it never returned again. I enjoyed hearing that story from Duane and it is sad because it is the last story I ever heard from him and ever will hear from him.

From his obituary you can see that he is a good man. He fought for his country. He received medals and he always talked about them. He thought war was terrible and also that sometimes it had to be. The war made him sad when he talked about it. He had my grandma and my mom try to see if an old army buddy was still alive. They thought they located him in California. He had died. They told Duane that they could not find him. He had lived through enough during the war. They did not want to hurt him.

I feel sad and my mother loved him and he loved my mother. They were good to each other and we earned each other's respect.

These are the reasons why Duane is my hero. He was a good man, a good father, a good husband, and kind to animals. He showed respect to all he met. He was a war hero and a hero to my mother and I.