Bryan Co., OK; Obituary: Fritz, Duane John - f632 --------------------------------- Durant Daily Democrat Trudy Marlow ----------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Source: October 11, 1999 - Durant Daily Democrat Survivors names omitted. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Fritz, Duane John - 78 Graveside service was held at 2 p.m. today at Highland Cemetery, Durant, for Duane John Fritz, 78, Durant, who died Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999, in Oak Ridge Manor Nursing Center. The Rev. Herb Bridgewater and Dr. Charles Bretz officiated. Mr. Fritz was born May, 9, 1921, in Chicago, Ill., to Sebastian Duane "Mannie" and Leta Mae (Baldwin) Fritz. Duane graduated from Everett Grammar School on Feb. 1, 1935, and Richard T. Crane Technical High School Jan. 27, 1939. After graduation, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps on April 5, 1939, at Camp Skokie Valley, Glenview, Ill. While a member of the CCC, he was stationed in Illinois, Missouri and Nevada. He received an honorable discharge at Camp McCoy, Sparta, Wis., on Sept. 28, 1939. On Oct. 8, 1940, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, and after being stationed in Missouri and Florida, he departed for the Pacific Theater on May 4, 1942, where he was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. During a routine inspection tour for mines, a trap accidentally discharged, killing all the members of the crew except for Duane and the commanding officer. Both were critically wounded, and Duane lost his left eye from the explosion. On Jan. 30, 1943, he was transferred in an unconscious state to a hospital in Portland, Ore., and remained there several months for recovery. On July 31, 1943, he enrolled in U.S. Army Air Plan Instrument Mechanic School in Glendale, Calif. Upon completion of the training, he was assigned to the Pyote Army Air Base with a grade of staff sergeant. While stationed there, he met his future wife, Marcine Moore, whom he married on Feb. 26, 1944, in the First Methodist Church, Monahans, Texas. At the same time, he was reassigned to the Ardmore Army Air Base where he served nine months. Duane was then transferred to Bowman Field, Louisville, Ky., in November 1944 and stayed for eleven months to see the end of World War II. Duane was presented an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force at V-J and V-E days celebrated Nov. 1, 1945, in Louisville. Following the end of World War II, Duane worked for McCurdy McElroy on an oil and gas lease in Crockett County, Texas, for two years and then enrolled in the Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colo., where he was graduated in the class of 1951 with a degree in petroleum engineering and a minor in geology. After graduation, Duane was employed by Arkansas Fuel Oil Corp., Shreveport, La., from 1951 until 1956 where he served as chief reservoir engineer. In 1956, Southern Natural Gas Company offered Duane a position as with more responsibility and opportunity for advancement in New Orleans, La. In a few months, Southern Natural moved Duane to Houston, Texas, where he became manager of operations in the exploration and production division. In 1970, Duane retired from Southern Natural and retired as an oil and gas operator in 1989. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife of the home. They have resided in Durant since 1982 where they restored the historic Horace Marshall House which has been deeded in trust to the Durant Historical Society. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Three Valley Museum Building Fund, 16th and Locust, Durant, OK 74701. Dalton-Holmes Funeral Home handled arrangements.