ROSE AURORA MCEVER DEFFEBACH, 92, died in 1996.
She was born Jan. 17, 1904 in Lyra, TX. Rose graduated
in 1922 from Ranger High School at Ranger, TX & in 1924
from North Texas State Teacher's College. She began
teaching in 1919 and taught elementary and junior high
English for almost 66 years in Ranger and Rising Star,
Texas. She was a 67 year member of the Order of the
Eastern Star Chapter 275 in Ranger and a lifetime member
of the Texas State Teachers Association, Delta Kappa
Gamma (teachers' fraternity), and the Disabled American
Veterans Commanders Club. After the death of her husband
Vernon in 1982, she moved to Brevard County, Florida to
be with her daughter and family, Annabeth Deffebach
Stephens (RHS-1959) (State University of New York at
Brockport, NY, 1971) and her husband, Curtis, also RHS
Class of 1959 (Texas A&M University, 1963) and their two
sons, Derek and Darren. In Florida, Rose was a member
of the Satellite Beach United Methodist Church, Delta
Kappa Gamma, Retired Teachers' Association, South Brevard
Retired Teachers Association, and the Florida Retired
Educators Association.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Deffebach
(listed below) in 1982, and they are both buried at Hillside
Memorial Gardens in Snyder, TX. Her sister, Anna McEver,
"Miss Mac" who taught business courses at Ranger High
and Ranger Jr. College for many years, also preceded her
in death in 1985. Miss Mac is buried in Strawn, TX. In
addition to her daughter, she leaves two grandsons and
their families - one great granddaughter and one great
grandson. Her grandchildren's families live in Plano, TX.
HUSBAND: VERNON DEFFEBACH was born Jan. 29, 1899,
and died in Dallas on Oct. 17, 1982 at the age of 83 from
leukemia.
He was born on a ranch in South Dakota in an adobe structure,
close to the North Dakota border and his grandfather was
killed by Indians. His mother and father were teachers.
Vernon was the oldest of six children. He moved with his
family in 1909 to Texas where they settled in Snyder and
later moved to Ranger in 1915. They had lived in Snyder,
Tuscola and Ranger and in Ranger his father, Thomas G.
Deffebach, managed the Burton-Lingo Lumber Company. Vernon
was attending Meridian College when he entered the army in
September of 1918 to serve in WWI. Vernon Deffebach worked
as an automobile mechanic in his own shop in the 1940's before
going to work for Lone Star Producing Company as a welder on
railway tank cars. On June 21, 1936, he was married to Rose
McEver, a life-long educator and they had a daughter, Annabeth
Deffebach Stephens (RHS-1959) and two grandchildren. Annabeth
is married to Curtis Lynn Stephens (RHS-1959). Vernon's brother,
Arthur Deffebach attended Ranger Schools and graduated from
Ranger High School in the Class of 1930. There were other
siblings, brothers Lyle and Tommy Deffebach who co-owned
Deffebach Insurance Agency in Snyder, a sister Beth Deffebach
Ownby who taught English in Pasadena, TX, and a sister, Frances,
who died at an early age. Arthur Deffebach who lives with his
wife Edwina in Granbury is the only surviving sibling. Mr.
Vernon Deffebach was buried at Hillside Memorial Gardens in
Snyder, TX.
VERNON DEFFEBACH---RANGER WELDER
A plan to "see the U.S." from a house trailer window is in
store for Vernon Deffebach, welder "A" in Ranger Gasoline
Department, who retired January 31 after more than 21 years
with Lone Star.
He and his wife recently bought a 15-foot house trailer and
plan to use it extensively in their travels. "We both like
to travel and we took a 6,500 mile trip to the northwest only
last year. With the trailer we will be able to go on extended
trips or short jaunts and it will be less expensive." The
trailer is equipped with two beds, gas range, gas refrigerator
and even a gas light in case electricity fails or is not
available where the trailer is parked.
Started as Mechanic
Mr. Deffebach joined Lone Star on July 26, 1942, as a mechanic.
Several years later he was made a welder. Born January 29,
1899, in South Dakota, he came to Texas with his parents in
1909 and settled in Snyder. In 1915 the family moved to
Ranger and four years later the 20-year-old Vernon Deffebach
opened a car repair shop in Ranger.
"I never did get rich and working for yourself can be pretty
tiring," he says. "Besides, I was afraid automobile parts and
good labor were going to be hard to get. I decided I wanted
to work for someone else for a while, so I joined Lone Star."
Built Own House
His welding talents have come in handy several times as well
as natural skill with his hands. He built his comfortable
home in Ranger. "I had the shell built and I finished all the
inside myself." He and his brother, Arthur, who also works
for Lone Star in Ranger, built a cottage on Lake Leon and the
brothers enjoy fishing and boating. They also built their own
boat house which harbors two boats and there is an ingenious
rig that raises and lowers a small fishing boat from a raised
shed by means of a hand crank.
Vernon Deffebach married the former Rose McEver on June 21,
1936. The couple has a daughter, Anna Beth Stephens of College
Station. His daughter is related to Lone Star in more ways
than one. Her husband, Curtis, who is working on a Master's
Degree at Texas A&M, is the son of Lonnie Stephens, Super-
intendent of RCF Plant in Ranger.
No Grandchildren Yet
"We don't have any grandchildren yet but we're looking forward
to the day," Mr. Deffebach says. "It seems like grandchildren
make retirement complete."
To help Mr. Deffebach enjoy one of his hobbies---fishing---fellow
employees presented him an electric trolling motor as a retirement
gift. (Lone Star Producing Company magazine in the 1960s)