Edward Calvin Kane

BORN FEBRUARY 9TH IN BRADLEY ARKANSAS TO THOMAS AND MARY KANE. HE WAS

THE YOUNGEST OF MANY CHILDREN WHERE HE LEARNED THE MEANING OF HARD

WORK IN THE FIELDS THEY FARMED AS A FAMILY. BEING THE YOUNGEST HE SAW HIS

SIBLINGS MOVE OFF ONE BY ONE AND HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO FINISH THE 6TH GRADE

BEFORE HAVING TO STAY HOME AND HELP HIS PARENTS FARM FULL TIME. DURING

WORLD WAR II HE JOINED THE ARMY AND SERVED IN FRANCE, GERMANY, AND

BELGIUM. AFTER THE WAR, HE RETURNED HOME AND MET HIS FUTURE WIFE OPAL

AND WAS MARRIED FOR 67 YEARS AT THE TIME OF HER PASSING. HE TRIED MANY

TRADES BEFORE JOINING THE MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD WHERE HE WORKED AS

A RAILCAR INSPECTOR FOR 20 YEARS. HE ALSO DECIDED TO JOIN THE MASONIC

LODGE AND WAS A 66 YEAR MASON AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH. DURING THIS TIME,

HE AND OPAL HAD THREE CHILDREN DELORES, ROLAND, AND DENISE. WHILE

WORKING AT THE RAILROAD HE WANTED MORE FOR HIS FAMILY AND DECIDED TO

INVEST IN A SHOE REPAIR SHOP WHERE HE LEARNED THE TRADE AND GREW THE

BUSINESS INTO 4 SEPARATE LOCATIONS. AS BUSINESS GREW SO DID THE

MERCHANDISE HE OFFERED AND HIS MAIN LOCATION TURNED INTO A COMPLETE

WESTERN WEAR STORE WITH OFFERINGS OF COWBOY BOOTS TO BUCKLES AND

COWBOY HATS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. AS HIS BUSINESS GREW SO DID HIS

NEED FOR INVENTORY AND SPACE SO HE SOON BUILT WHAT WAS THE LARGEST

WESTERN WEAR STORE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AT THE TIME, KANES BOOT AND

WESTERN SHOP. DURING THESE YEARS HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE HOUSTON

LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO AS A LIFETIME DIRECTOR SERVING ON MANY

COMMITTEES, ALONG WITH THE HOUSTON FARM AND RANCH CLUB AND HARRIS

COUNTY FAIR. AS HIS BUSINESS EVOLVED HE BOUGHT A RANCH IN CROCKETT,

TEXAS WHERE HE RAISED CATTLE AND TENNESSEE WALKING HORSES. HIS RANCH

GREW IN SIZE OVER THE YEARS BUYING ADDITIONAL PROPERTIES IN GRAPELAND.

HE SPENT LONG HOURS WITH HIS FAMILY WORKING TO IMPROVE HIS RANCH HE

CALLED KANES HILLTOP ACRES. ONE OF HIS OTHER PASSIONS WAS TRAINS WHERE

HE AMASSED A HUGE COLLECTION OF MODEL TRAINS THAT HE SPENT MANY HOURS

SETTING UP AND DRIVING.

HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER DENISE LIVED WITH THEM AND HAS BEEN THEIR

CAREGIVER ESPECIALLY THESE LATER YEARS. RECENTLY HE INVESTED IN

TIMBERLAND AND SPENT EVERY WEEKEND WITH HIS FAMILY AT KICKAPOO WHERE

HE ENJOYED HUNTING AND FISHING WITH THEM BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY DRIVING

HIS BULLDOZER.

HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS WIFE OPAL IRENE KANE, DAUGHTER DELORES

KANE FATHER AND MOTHER, THOMAS AND MARY, AND ALL OF HIS SIBLINGS. HE IS

SURVIVED BY HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW ROLAND AND DOLORES KANE AND

DAUGHTER DENISE KANE. AND MANY GRANDCHILDREN GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN

AND OTHER LOVED ONES.