Durene Crouch

Durene Harlin Crouch passed away on February 22, 2022, in Waco, TX. She was 94 years old.
Born in Itasca, TX, in 1927, to Fred and Freida Harlin, Durene’s family has deep roots in Hill
County. She was born in the house her grandfather built with his then-teenage son, Fred.
Durene served as a Regent of Hill College (formerly known as Hill Junior College) from May
1995 to May 2008.
Durene graduated Itasca High School as salutatorian. After attending Baylor University, she
then completed her medical technology training, before taking her first job in Childress, TX.
There, she met and married Burba ‘Bo’ Bohannon. Their only son, Mark Bohannon, resides in
Washington, DC.
After short stints in Wichita Falls, Las Cruces, NM and southern California, they moved to
Austin, where she began a 33-year career at the Student Health Center which was then on the
campus at the University of Texas. Durene was widowed in 1966.
She saw Austin grow from a sleepy college-town capital of under 150,000 in the early 1950’s to
a city more than quadruple that size when she returned full time to Hill County in the 1990’s.
During her time in Austin living in her beloved Tarrytown, in addition to raising her son, Durene
was an active member of Tarrytown Baptist Church where she sang in the choir and taught
Sunday School. She later attended downtown First Baptist Church. For several years, she
raised African violets and frequently placed in local competitions. During her many years in
Austin, she gathered and nurtured a strong group of friends – through her church, and her work
– that lasted for decades, often through regular ‘girl friend’ lunches and celebrations. She was
the last surviving member of this tightly knitted group.
A new chapter in her life opened when she married W.T. Crouch, of Itasca. For over a decade,
they shared a love of travel, driving across the U.S. multiple times (often to their signature road
song, Willie Nelson’s ‘On the Road Again’). They had wonderful trips to Canada and Europe.
They hosted an annual and quite memorable July 4th celebration for most of their time together.
Durene was an avid gardener and renowned for her canned watermelon rind, garlic dill and
bread-and-butter pickles. Her red pepper relish, as well as her special way of cooking fried
okra, were well known throughout the land. She also became an outstanding needle point
artist, and made gorgeous Christmas stockings for her family. Her reputation in the family was
that she was quite the astute, and a fairly competitive, Chicken Foot domino player. W.T.
passed in 1995.
Following a date with John MacDonald set up by W.T. 's two daughters, and a brief romance,
Durene and John married in a ceremony officiated by step-daughter Molly Crouch and with her
granddaughters having their one chance in life to serve as adorable flower girls. She spent the
final decades of her life in Whitney, TX, sharing his love of organic gardening until his death.

In addition to her son, Mark Bohannon, she is survived by her granddaughters, whom she
adored deeply, Nicole Bohannon (currently in London, England) and Alexia Bohannon (Austin).
She is also survived by their mother, devoted former daughter-in-law, and dear friend, Nancy
Donaldson (Washington, DC). A brother, Troyce Harlin, predeceased her; she is survived by his
wife, Nella Harlin and their two sons and her nephews, Troy and John. She is survived by
members of W.T.’s large clan, who adopted her as their own: step-daughter Susan (BIll)
Marquiss, Orange, CA; and step-sons Michael Crouch, Winnsboro, TX, Joseph (Monica)
Crouch, Sulphur Springs, TX, and Tommy (Sally) Crouch, Itasca, TX; and 13 grandchildren and
14 great grandchildren. Preceding her in death were W.T., step-daughter Molly Crouch
Anderson and step-son Bill Crouch. She is also survived by the loving and doting step-children
of John MacDonald, Lecya Peacock and Rexann Bissing, both of Whitney, and her cherished
friend and extended family member, Lara Nell Ward, also of Whitney.
Durene’s family and friends express their deep appreciation to all the wonderful team at Town
Hall Estates – especially Robin, Pam and Donna – for their steadfast care of her in recent years.
A graveside service will be attended by family and friends at Itasca Cemetery. The family
requests that, in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to your favorite charity or to Hill College in
Hillsboro. TX (more information available at this link:  https://www.hillcollege.edu/About/Development/Dev-Index.html).