Extracted from The News-Star (Monroe, LA)
Sunday, January 22, 2006

JOHN RUBEN DUNCAN, SR.

John Ruben Duncan, Sr. died at 2:52 AM January 20, 2006 at Glenwood Hospital, West Monroe, LA. He was born 30 January 1930 in Prescott, AR. He was preceded in death by his father, Woodson Bryant Duncan; his mother, Carmen Walters Douglas and his daughter, Barbara Duncan Pace.

He is survived by his wife of fifty-three years, Helene Jane Coley Duncan; six of his seven children, Mary Ellen Williams, Marilyn Duncan Brown, Major John R. Duncan, Jr. (Retired US Army), Kay Duncan, Coley Bryant Duncan, MD, and Julia L. Davis; ten grandchildren and three sisters, LaVon Jordan, Quentin Chambers and Flora Smith.

Mr. Duncan was a draftsman, designer, inventor, builder, artist and entrepreneur. While only having a high school education, he was an outside-of-the-box thinker with a keen intellect. He designed, built and owned the unique steel house in Bartholomew Woods subdivision near Sterlington, LA. He designed and manufactured machinery and constructed some one hundred elevated tanks for city water systems in the ARKLAMISS area. He served in a supervisory capacity for Ford, Bacon and Davis and Houston Contractors. He performed general contract work through his personal businesses Duncan Steel Fabricators and Industrial Consultant Services, Inc.

He and his wife served a one-year mission in Vermont for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as field operators for the Genealogical Society of Utah. He and his wife were a strong missionary force in north Louisiana for the church. He faithfully served his church, family and friends all of his life.

Services are 2:00 PM, Friday, January 27, 2006, at Kilpatrick Funeral Home on Lamy Lane. Viewing will be Thursday, January 26, 2006 from 5:00 until 8:00 PM.