Roland Duus

Roland Duus, 91, of Rockwood, died Sunday, March 30, 2014 at an Abilene hospital. Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Thursday, April 3, 2014 at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel with Mr. Bob Martin officiating and Mr. Sam Wilson assisting. Burial will follow in the Rockwood Cemetery. Services are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.

Roland Duus was born in Florence, Minnesota, July 1, 1922 to Charles and Alma Anderson Duus. He grew up in Ruthon, Minnesota and graduated from high school there. When he was 17, he bought a portable projector and screen and went to different small towns in the area, showing movies. At the start of World War II, he moved to California, working in a defense plant. He soon enlisted in the United States Air Force.

After the war, he left California and ended up in Ballinger. While there, he worked in a tire store and went back to “road shows”, showing movies in a different town each night, except for Sundays. He showed movies in Paint Rock, Buffalo Gap, Mozelle, Divide, Talpa and Novice. He loved the wide street in Coleman and moved here and in 1948 he built the Oak Drive-In Theatre. In 1950, he built the Cole-Anna Drive-In on Santa Anna Avenue. He bought the downtown theatres in 1952. In 1963, Roland built the Coleman Poly Clean, a coin operated laundry and dry cleaning place on Commercial Avenue. He liked to show family movies and when the trend changed to “X” and “XXX” movies in the late 1960’s, he had a chance to sell, so he moved to a farm north of Rockwood in 1970.

Roland married Bettie Crawford on June 1, 1959 in Coleman. Roland was a member of the Elm Street Church of Christ. He loved his family and his church family.

Survivors include by his wife, Bettie Duus of Rockwood; two sons, Rodney Duus and his wife, Leann, of Goldthwaite, Robert Duus and his wife, Irene, of Brady; one daughter, Tracy Eoff and her husband, Kelvin of Rockwood; grandchildren, Dustin Maedgen of Lexington, Sarah and Wadedale Keller of Midway Park, North Carolina, Tim Duus of College Station, John Duus of Goldthwaite; step-grandchildren Jasmine Martinez of College Station, Devon Martinez and Tristan Martinez of Brady, Korbin and Stephany Eoff and their son, Troy of Goldthwaite.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Marguarete Duus in 1957, and by his parents, Charles and Alma Anderson Duus.

Memorials may be made to World Bible School, P.O. Box 2169, Cedar Park, Texas 78630 or the donor’s favorite charity.

Family visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at Stevens Funeral Home.

Please sign his online guestbook at www.livingmemorials.com.