Rhetta Duty Davis

Rhetta Duty Davis, 76, of Houston, Texas, was born on the 29th of September, 1939, in Houston, Texas, and passed away on Saturday, the 28th of May, 2016, in Houston. Rhetta was born to Robert Summers Duty, Jr., and Ruby Risinger Duty and was a proud and loving mother, grandmother, and daughter to her family and a precious friend to all others whose lives she touched. While growing up, she traveled abroad with her parents and close friends on the French liner, SS Liberté. At home, she was passionate about raising cattle and riding horses with her father at their Brenham ranch. Rhetta attended Lamar High School (1957) and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin (1961) with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She was voted one of the Ten Most Beautiful on campus and loved her Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority sisters throughout her lifetime. As a young ingénue, she enjoyed volunteering as a Candy Striper for the Cooley team at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. Rhetta and her parents were charter members of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, and her life was built upon faith, family and friends. Her special ministries were reflective of her love of animals, children and the sick. Rhetta had a special place in her heart for animals and was a devoted caregiver to friends enduring illnesses.

She married Robert Felton Krouse in 1963 and cherished what she considered her most important work, mothering their two children, Alicia and Kyle. Many of their friends adopted Rhetta as their second mother. She thoroughly loved spending time with her children and friends at Lake Austin, water-skiing, cooking, motorcycle-riding and delighting in life on the lake. Her activities outside the home were legion and she enjoyed a very active life of hospitality and service in Houston, Brenham, Austin, La Jolla and Steamboat Springs. Rhetta appreciated the visual arts, including photography and paintings, especially if it was a Central Texas landscape or one of horses and cattle. She took many photos of family events, friends and trips. These photos were very important to her in later years to reflect on the many good times she treasured. She adored attending “The Gathering” at many area churches and dancing with others there. Upon her arrival, Rhetta would light up and revel in visiting with all who attended.

Rhetta was preceded in death by her parents and her faithful furry companions, Sangdoodle, Midgon, Sara, and Komet. She is survived by two children, Catherine Alicia Krouse, married to Jerome Crowder, and Kyle Felton Krouse, married to Carrye Jorgensen Krouse; her grandchildren, Kyle Felton Krouse, Jr., Brady Austin Krouse, and Kirby Summers Krouse; cousins, Martha and Glenn Presley, John and Robin Birdwell and their children, Ashley Birdwell Pacetti and Abraham Pacetti (and their children, Emily and Kade); her children’s paternal uncle, Richard Carl Krouse; and cherished friends, Steve and Sandy Bowers, and their boys. Rhetta was the touchstone and social memory for her wealth of family and friends. Of the many talents she had and shared, Rhetta was a hostess extraordinaire. Our mother and grandmother will be deeply missed as her indomitable presence, mischievous smile, engaging laughter, clever wit, and contagious sense of humor brought laughter and joy to all. In the last ten years of her life, Rhetta’s spiritual cadre of caregivers were loyal and beloved family members. Rhetta regarded Rosa Carreno, Gloria Ruiz, Geraldine Williams, Bambi Voss, and Henrietta Montgomery as her own; God’s gift to our mother and to us in providing unending love, care and friendship to her.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family at her memorial service at one o’clock in the afternoon, on Friday, the 3rd of June, at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road in Houston. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception at a venue to be announced during the service. In lieu of usual remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to Interfaith Care Partners, 701 North Post Oak Lane #330, Houston, 77024, www.interfaithcarepartners.org; or the Alzheimer’s Association~Houston and Southeast Texas Chapter, 6055 South Loop East, Houston, TX 77087, Houston, 77063, www.alz.org/donate.