The View From the Lead Car: Arla

February 1, 2026 marked the 38-year anniversary of my journey in funeral service. Over these past 38 years there are some fundamental truths that I have come to realize, but perhaps none greater than this; Life is made up of relationships. Life is about relationships. At the end of it all, there are really only two things that matter and only two things that will stand the test of time and eternity:

#1 you’re relationship with your Creator (GOD) and #2 what you have done for and the relationships that you have with others. I have been very blessed to have been a part of some very special friendships, and maybe none more special than with the Durrett sisters.

Don’t Color Outside the Lines

By the time I was in school, Mrs. Durrett had retired from teaching but had transitioned to everyone’s favorite substitute teacher. My first recollection of Mrs. Durrett was in elementary school in the 70’s. We all loved it when she was our teacher because she let us color. Mrs. Durrett was what I would call a professional colorer. I had never been very good at it, but in the second grade she taught me something that to this day I have not forgotten. Mrs. Durrett taught me that if you want to color good and have something that looked really good you must first use your crayon to outline the area that you are going to color. It really was amazing to me what a difference that made in the finished picture. We would spend hours coloring. Honestly, I don’t remember doing anything else on the days that she was our teacher, all I remember is coloring. I am sure that she was probably a great educator in her day, but in her retirement and as a substitute teacher, her role had changed. She was the teacher that we all loved. She didn’t have to keep discipline because we all wanted to please her. Her kindness just made you want to gain her approval. She was a special lady.

She Must Be Home, The Curtains Are Back

When I purchased the building from LD and Phyllis Nelson that would become Brown Funeral Home, I became the neighbor (across the alley) to the lady that taught me how to color. As an adult, I came to love Mrs. Durrett even more. By this time, she had gotten pretty old, but still lived at home, alone. She was a very independent lady that had quite a reputation for her baking. I never knew her husband Donald Durrett, but he must have been a lucky man to have spent his life with her. I tried to keep an eye on her to make sure she was safe and OK from my perch across the alley, and I came to realize her routine. When she would rise in the morning, she would go to the kitchen window that faced the west and pull back the curtains. This was her signal to me that she was OK. I remember one particular morning that her curtains did not open. I became worried so I went to check on her. When I got to the back door, she had left me a note telling me that she had gone to California to see her daughter Beverly. Mrs. Durrett was in her 90’s and had driven herself to Lamar and boarded the Amtrak and headed west to California. Remarkable!

Anyone who knew Mrs. Durrett has their own stories, and I am sure they are great stories, and I would bet that they share a similar theme to those that I have shared.

Six girls–A Special Bunch

Most of my adult life I had heard about the Durrett girls, but not until December 23, 2003, did I have the opportunity to meet all of them. Mrs. Durrett had died the day before, at the age of 96 and on the ²³rd we met to plan her funeral. I quickly came to learn why our community held this group out to be so very special. The thing that was impressed upon me was this: all 6 of them were kind just like Arla. They were interested in detail, punctuation and politeness. They were precise in their wishes; they were in agreement but most of all they were kind. They were kind, just like Mrs. Durrett. (I think I said it before, but it’s worth repeating). I would suspect that each of them was very good at coloring within the lines.

As we began to prepare for her funeral, details were important. It was decided that everyone that came to the funeral would be given a copy of Arla’s sweet roll recipe. Most had wondered how she made these rolls, and now they would have the recipe. I’m betting that there are some that still have this recipe. I do. But for whatever reason, it’s just one of those things that can’t be replicated; no one can make them like Mrs. Durrett did. Mrs. Durrett was laid to rest in the Arlington Cemetery in Arlington, CO.

Heritage, What A Blessing

The Durrett family, like many other families in our community is one of those that will be remembered for generations to come. Our community is in part what it is because of families like the Durrett’s. The reason: they have made a difference in the lives of others. This is a family that recognizes the significance of the two fundamental truths that I shared in the beginning. As I think about Mrs. Durrett, I just think about this. Coloring is a lot like life and life is a whole lot like coloring. The finished product is a whole lot prettier if you color within the lines. Wouldn’t our world be a whole lot more pleasant if everyone just learned to color inside the lines. Life lessons are everywhere, and there is something to be learned from everyone. I am thankful for Mrs. Durrett and the lessons in life that I have learned from her. Her daughters have become some of my most cherished friends. It sure makes you long for the way things used to be.

PS – If you are ever in our funeral home in Cheyenne Wells, Arla’s dining room table and buffet are there for families to enjoy their beauty. Arla told me that her parents brought this furniture to Arlington, Colorado in the early 1900’s.