Earl Strube, 97, went to be with his Lord on Saturday, February 2, 2013. Earl was born May 9, 1915, in Haworth, Oklahoma, to Gussie Simmons Strube and William Strube . He grew up in Idabel, Oklahoma on a farm in very primitive conditions. He and his siblings hunted and fished to supplement their diet. He thought he would continue working on the farm after high school, but on the day he graduated a classmate’s father said, “Earl, come with us to Durant, Oklahoma and go to college.” Earl accepted. In Durant, he lived with a retired physician and his wife and worked as their handyman. He graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science degree and a teaching certificate in 1938. After graduation, he taught until the United States entered WWII when he went to work at an aircraft plant in Millington, Tennessee as a civilian Navy employee building gliders used on D-Day. He later worked in Memphis building B-25 Billy Mitchell bombers.
In 1945, after the war ended, Earl moved to Port Neches where he became a chemist at Neches Butane. He met and married Mildred Hills, who was teaching school there. Mildred and Earl have three lovely children, Carol, Sharla, and Kent. Earl retired from Neches Butane after thirty-five years. Not content to rest on his laurels, he then began another career repairing clocks at the George Blake Clock Company in Beaumont, where he worked for the next seventeen years.
A kind, humble man, Earl had a deep Christian religious faith that he lived daily. Complemented by a dry sense of humor, often expressed while enjoying championship 42 domino games at the Lumberton Senior Citizens Center, it made Earl a friend anyone would be blessed indeed to have.
Survivors include his wife of sixty-two years, Mildred Hills Strube; children, Gary Strube and his wife, Barbara, of Colmesneil; Kenneth Strube of Houston; Carol Strube Wyatt of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sharla Strube and her husband, Victor Hinterlang, of Austin; and Kent Strube and his wife, LiLi, of Union City, California; grandchildren, Kelli Brug and her husband, Eric, of Sugarland; Gary Dean Strube of Carrolton; Jimmy Strube and his wife, Kelly, of Houston; Justin Strube of Beaumont; and Jina Strube and Layle Strube, both of Union City, California; great-grandchildren, Shane Bruge; Garrett Strube; Michael Strube; and Logan Strube; brother, Dr. Willam J. Strube and his wife, Sue, of De Queen, Arkansas; and daughter-in-law, Betty Strube of Deer Park. He is preceded in death byhis parents; brothers, Clarence Strube; John Strube; Ferris Strube; and Ruben Strube; and sisters, Mable Strube Lada and Doris Strube.
A gathering of Mr. Strube’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 6, 2013, at Broussard’s, 490 Cemetery Road, Silsbee. His funeral service will be 2:00 p.m., Thursday, February 7, 2013, at Broussard’s, officiated by Jeb Airey, Pastor of Journey Community Church, with comments by Richard Vaughn. His interment will follow at Village Mills Cemetery, Village Mills.
