Palestine High School Alumni Association

"Stately and tall he moves in the hall, The chief of a thousand for grace."

05 / 11 / 1923  –  12 / 19 / 2003

Services for Col. (Ret.) Duke Thurman Jr., 80, of Bonham, and formerly of Palestine, will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday in Land of Memory Cemetery with full military honors accorded by Barksdale Air Force Base. Arrangements are under the direction of Bailey & Foster.

Col. Thurman died Friday in Bonham.  He was born May 11, 1923, in Palestine to N.D. and Prudence Thurman.

Col. Thurman graduated from Palestine High School in 1940, attended Texas A&M, joined the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942, and later completed his education with a degree in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Nebraska.

He was a veteran of three wars: World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Force Medal with seven oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

Col. Thurman was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Eula Lee Inmon Thurman of Palestine; and sister, Melza Woodard.

He is survived by his wife, Deborah Kenny Thurman of Rockwall; sons and their wives, Barry and Suzanne Thurman of Coronado, Calif.; Dr. Steven and Donna Thurman of Auckland, New Zealand; Dr. Christopher and Holly Thurman of Austin; and David Thurman of Irvine, Calif.; sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Elton Myers of Athens; two stepsons, Brian Rogers and Thomas Rogers, both of Houston; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and three nieces.

Source: Palestine Herald-Press 12-22-2003