TOMBSTONE TUESDAY: “DUBY’ JECKER (1922-2018)

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY: “DUBY’ JECKER (1922-2018) When people ask me, “What made you, a young college graduate from Ohio in 1980, choose Port Lavaca, Texas as the place to build a life and put down deep roots?” my answer has always been simple—the people. And among those people, one of the most special was Duby Jecker. When I was working for a small construction company building houses, Jecker Floor and Glass installed all of our flooring, windows, and Formica. Through that work, Duby became my friend, my confidant, and someone who genuinely cared about me. He loved me like a daughter, and that kind of welcome is something you never forget.

“Duby” was born Brownson Gordon Jecker on September 12, 1922, in Victoria, Texas, to Alfred Francis and Mary Harriet “Mayetta” (Gordon) Jecker. He was the fourth of five children, growing up surrounded by two older sisters, an older brother, and a younger sister. His roots ran deep in the region: his great-grandfather, Louis Jecker, emigrated with his brother Pierre (Peter) from Alsace, France, settling in Victoria around 1850. By 1880, both brothers were prosperous grocery men in the growing town. Duby’s grandfather, known as “Bundy,” operated a retail liquor business in Victoria until Prohibition, after which he helped his son Alfred run “Jecker’s News Stand and Tobacco Store” on E. Constitution.

Duby began his own sales career early—at just four years old he sold the Houston Chronicle on the streets of Victoria. When his father became manager of the Western Auto Store, twelve-year-old Duby went to work there and stayed until he graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1941. In his school years he excelled in athletics, lettering in basketball all four years and serving as Captain for three, and lettering in football for three years, captaining the team as a senior.

In October 1942, Duby joined the United States Air Force and completed aviation mechanic school. After eighteen months as a cadet and just two weeks short of finishing pilot training, he was forced to wash out due to air sickness. Undeterred, he continued serving, completing radio, electronics, and advanced radar mechanic schools. He was honorably discharged in February 1946.  Returning home to Victoria, he married Miss Blair Fallis in September 1946. Together they had three children: Jane (Simicek), Brownson Gordon, Jr., and Lucy (Sharkey).

Duby’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a blind and flooring business in Cuero in 1949. In 1952, he moved to Port Lavaca and opened Jecker Blind and Floor Co.—later Jecker Floor and Glass. His father Alfred worked alongside him until retiring in 1965, and afterwards Duby’s sister Betty Muske took over the role, working there until her own retirement in 1985.  If your home in Calhoun County was built anytime in the 50's through the 80's, there's a better than good chance you're walking on flooring and cleaning countertops installed by Jecker Floor and Glass.

Duby married Ethel Kelly in August 1966 and gained a stepdaughter, Elizabeth Ann Williams, who passed away in 2017. His son Brownson grew up in the business, working Saturdays and summers and learning it from the ground up. When Duby retired in March 1989, Brownson leased the company and continued its legacy.

In retirement, Duby enjoyed the simple pleasures that brought him joy: fishing and catching his own bait, spending time on his tractor, gardening, and—most of all—being surrounded by family. He had a wonderful sense of humor and wanted others to laugh and enjoy life as much as he did. He carried with him volumes of stories from his youth, his school days, his military service, and his proud life as a father.  I've been told that even as an adult, the kids in his neighborhood thought of him as just one of the kids on the block. They'd go to the door and ask Ethel if Duby could come out and play. Then they'd spend hours playing half court basketball with him - he always made time for the kids. Duby loved unconditionally.

After a brief illness, Duby passed away on Monday, February 26, 2018, at the age of 95. He is buried in the Port O’Connor Cemetery. His life touched countless people—including one young woman (me) from Ohio who found a home in Port Lavaca because people like Duby showed her what community really means.

Written and compiled by Jody Weaver from information provided by Duby and Ethel Jecker to the Port Lavaca Sesquicentennial committee (1990)

family photos