This is my DAD with one of his beagles. We used to spend time hunting and sharing tales of our hunts. I will forever miss those days and my DAD.

My mother, Ermenia Gray, and Durward were sweethearts.  They had dated for years, attended church together, went to music events, out to dinner, parades, watched Lawrence Welk on Saturday nights, and visited the "widows and other old people" together.  Considering my mother is 85 and Durwood was 91, I asked them, "just how old are these people you are visiting?"  Durwood would remind me that he got along better than men half his age, he took no medications, had no need for doctors, and had all his own teeth.  He checked on my mother everyday, and saw her most days, too.  They shared most dinners together, especially reminding us that he didn't learn to cook until he was 86, and "that's old," he'd say.  He was kind and gentle and loving to my mother, and their romance kept her young.  She'll miss him greatly and I'll be forever grateful to the man who showed her love at this time in her life.