Page 30 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2019- Online Magazine

Travis LaDuke A Continually &
y life began on September
15, 1925 in O’Brien,
MTexas when I was born
to Gussie Rex and Leland LaDuke.
They had two boys and one girl,
but my father died when I was
three months old. Some of my
earliest memories were of lonely
days; many times, I felt forsaken
and sad. At the age of four, my
mother remarried. My stepfather
didn’t seem to like me much. I was
required to work at an early age to
help support the family. I attended
school in O’Brien for three years,
then we moved to Beattie, Texas,
a small community in Comanche
County. I enjoyed sports and
school. In 7th grade, I was involved
in Entremets Scholastic tryouts.
In the competition, I won first in
tennis, math and picture memory.
My life was quite difficult living
with my mother and stepfather,
so I went to live with my maternal
30 Amarillo Senior Link
Permanently Blessed Life
by Travis LaDuke
grandparents for the rest of my newspaper with the headlines,
childhood. After moving to “THE WAR IS OVER!” I was
Wellman, I played basketball always grateful for the atomic
during my early junior high school bomb. Perhaps it saved MY life
years. We moved to Vernon, Texas and thousands of other soldiers. I
for my high school junior year. I received my discharge papers in
graduated in 1943 and was drafted March of 1946. I was given the
into the Army in 1944, during Combat Infantry badge and the
WWII. I was in the Army for two Bronze Star.
years, eight days and nine hours! After coming back home, I was
I was sent to basic training at Ft. offered a job in Tulia, Texas where
Hood, Texas and then assigned I met my bride-to-be, Helen Inez
to the Combat Unit, 20th Armed Burrow. She urged me to attend
Division in 1945. We sailed college. I enrolled at Hardin-
overseas to France, then to Munich, Simmons University with the help
Germany. I was involved in the of the G.I. Bill.
liberation of the Nazi concentration In the spring, during a revival held
camp in Dachau, Germany in April at the University, I surrendered to
of 1945. We were warned that there preach the Gospel in 1945. I was
were Nazis hiding behind every called to Longworth Baptist to
tree. Our sergeant spotted an SS preach full-time, but they had no
officer who had killed one of his building. I needed $12,000 dollars
soldiers. I remember seeing him for a building and $1,200 dollars
shoot the SS officer six times. The for a piano and song books. A man
Nazis ran, and we did not have to came up to me (might have been an
cross over into the Nazi protected Angel) and said he would loan the
area. After that incident, we were money to us!
shipped across the Blue Danube
River and into Austria. We felt During my time pastoring there,
like we were living a life of luxury our four children were born; Shelia,
in Austria; no tents or sleeping on Shirley, Sheryl and Shane.
the ground for us; we stayed in In 1977, we moved to Amarillo;
hotels! After six weeks in Austria, ministering to people was our
we sailed across the ocean for five calling. Helen began teaching in
days. We landed in New York City River Road, but I was called to
and were treated to a BIG STEAK! the ministry. I was hired as the
Our next move was to board a train Avondale Baptist Church pastor.
to San Antonio, Texas. The train Tascosa Baptist could not find
was traveling so fast that a G.I. a pastor, so we combined both
could not even get off the train to churches to become Wolflin Avenue
buy a pint of whiskey! Arriving Baptist Church. I served on the
in San Antonio, a man held up a land development committee for