Robert Louis "Bob" Durrenberger, Jr.

Robert Louis “Bob” Durrenberger, Jr., 93, of Lake Limestone, passed away at home at Lake Limestone on Saturday, June 17, 2023, while surrounded by his loving sons and daughters and their spouses.

Visitation will be held at 9:00 a.m., prior to the funeral service, on Friday, June 23, 2023, in the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel.

Funeral services will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, with Reverend Joel Hall and Reverend Michael Nemec of the Faith Lutheran Church of Mexia officiating.  Burial will follow in Fort Parker Cemetery in Groesbeck.

Pallbearers will be Stephen Montgomery, Jimmy Webb, Wyatt Webb, Ronnie Holland, Phillip Heaton, Mike Mashburn, Brandon Anderson, and Jacob Landen.  Honorary pallbearers are Lawrence Durrenberger, Ken Prager, and Mike Hodge.

Robert was born July 28, 1929, in Beaumont, TX to Robert Louis Durrenberger and Stasie Hale Durrenberger.  The family moved to several towns until making their home in Houston.   While a young teenager, Robert began working, at a saddle shop, soda companies-where he drove a truck, and other jobs until his main job at Continental Can Company.

Robert was united in marriage with Patsy Ruth Castleberry on December 7, 1947.  Their first date had begun with her riding on his bicycle handlebars to the movies and then with her sitting on an apple crate in the seat of his first car.  

They lived in Houston many years, and while working for Continental Can Company, Robert also owned and operated his own company, “Bob’s Garage” and shared ownership with his brother of a service station.   While working as a machine operator and mechanic, he would come home to sleep a few hours, and then go open the garage and do auto mechanical work.  Bob was promoted by the company and moved to the Rio Grande Valley at Weslaco in 1971. 

Robert loved to hunt and fish, and the family had many vacations camping and fishing and skiing.  Some of the kids’ fond memories included their trips visiting Big Bend National Park and Garner State Park, and an Indian reservation in Oklahoma.  He provided fish and venison for the family to eat and had the bragging rights of pulling in a 90 lb. fish by himself at Lake Limestone.

Robert had bought acreage in Limestone County from some of his hunting buddies and started a cattle operation in 1967, before Lake Limestone was built.  The whole family was involved in coming to the farm and helping with the work through the years. Robert first built a starter home there and then later built their retirement home.

When he retired, Robert and Patsy moved to their home at Lake Limestone in 1984 and continued their cattle operation until 2021.  He had worked every day all his life. Even after his retirement, Continental Can Company needed him to continue making repairs and training their other mechanics, and sent him to New York, St. Louis, and other sites as their Mechanical Engineer.

An important part of Robert and Patsy’s life was their love for travel.  They visited every state in the continental U.S.A. in their RV motor home and greatly enjoyed a trip to Germany with their daughter and son-in-law Connie and Ken to meet relatives Patsy had found in her genealogy research.  They also played a formative role in the lives of their grandchildren.   Robert and Patsy were members of Faith Lutheran Church in Mexia.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Patsy in February 2022 after they had celebrated their 74^th. anniversary the prior December.

He is survived by his four children and their spouses: Connie and Ken Prager of Fort Worth, Robert and Betty Durrenberger of Jewett, Karen and Mike Hodge of Jewett, and Ronnie and Janet Durrenberger of Jewett and 10 grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Ruby Flowers of Houston and brother, Lawrence Durrenberger of New Caney and multiple nieces and nephews.