Irvin Curt Apel

1934 - 2019

Irvin Curt Apel BURLESON--Irvin Curt Apel went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, April 26, 2019, three days after his 85th birthday. MEMORIAL SERVICE 2 p.m. Saturday, May 18, at First Baptist Church in Burleson, Texas. MEMORIALS: Honorariums may be made to Jennifer's Angels, 4400 Oak Knoll Drive, Plano, TX 75093 or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105-3678. Curt was born in Coryell County, Texas, on April 23, 1934, the youngest of eight born to Albert Eric Carl Apel and Elise "Lizzie" Schaub Apel. He graduated from Gatesville High School in 1951 and married Billie Verne Graham on May 30, 1953, the day after she graduated from high school. He went on to graduate from Baylor University in 1956. He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary while working as a carpenter and began his career building houses in the South Hills and Wedgwood areas of Fort Worth in 1958. In 1960 he moved his building business to Burleson and constructed many homes in Hillery Heights and Ranchette Estates among others. At Thanksgiving time in 1961, he moved his family to Burleson. There was one blinking, yellow light at Highway 174 and Renfro Street. The population was 2,345. He was elected to the Burleson City Council in 1963-65 and was instrumental in the connection of Renfro Street to I-35 from Highway 174 and the construction of the sidewalk down Johnson Avenue from Renfro Street to the former high school, which is now Kerr Middle School. Curt then worked as a Veteran's Administration building inspector for several years before establishing Century 21 Curt Apel Real Estate. His final working years were spent as a catastrophe claims adjuster for State Farm Insurance and FEMA for earthquake and flood losses. After that, he became the chief cook and grocery shopper for Billie while she continued her career with Lollar & Associates. Curt loved to fish and play dominoes, but, most of all, he loved his family and provided many enjoyable vacations and family gatherings for them. SURVIVORS: Wife of almost 66 years, Billie; brother, Eddie Apel and wife, Eva Lou; children, Julie and husband, Michael Maples, Tony and wife, Laurie Apel, Shelly and husband, Brian Ollar; grandchildren, Erica Bower and husband, Clint, Trey Pedersen and wife, Deanna, Jeremy Apel and wife, Julie, Whitney Dial and husband, Jorden, Zachary Apel and wife, Kaitlin, Mason and Matthew Ollar; great-grandchildren, Aubrey, Landry, Gentry and Ellery Bower, Hudson, Jonah and Mallory Kate Apel, Emerie amd Rowen Dial, Theodore and Keller Apel; and numerous other loved ones.