New Mexico Shriners Serve Children

Duane R. Crapser, Chief Rabban and Lady Beverly

Duane was born in Algona, Iowa on April 13, 1946.  Moved to Waterloo, Iowa with his parents in 1959 and graduated from West High School in 1964.

Duane joined the United States Air Force in July 1965, attended basic training in San Antonio, Texas; then was stationed at Lowery AFB Aurora, Colorado where he met his wife Beverly and they were married in July 1966 before Duane spent a tour in Southeast Asia.  After being honorable discharged from Seymour-Johnson AFB in North Carolina in 1969 Duane and Beverly moved to Waterloo, Iowa where their children Robert was born in 1969 and Jean born in 1973.  Their son Robert and his wife Sherry reside in Medina, Ohio and their daughter Jean, son-in-law Erin and two grandchildren Zabrina and Patrick reside in Dacono, Colorado.

Beverly, after graduating from Aurora Central High worked at Gano-Downs as a credit authorizer.  When returning to the Denver area in 1978 Beverly worked as a Senior Loan Officer for the Rocky Flats Credit Union until her employment in 1990 at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site as a Classified Document Controller and later as a Senior Administrative Assistant to the Division Leader of Radiological Department.

While in Waterloo, Iowa Duane was a Manufacturing Engineer for John Deere & Company.  Moved to Denver, CO in 1978 when Duane accepted a position as Manager of Safety & Security for Gardner Denver Co.  He subsequently joined Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in 1982 and retired from there as a Senior Quality Engineer in 1996.  While in Colorado Duane attended Business Management college classes and many other management courses.  They located to Santa Fe, NM in 2002 where Duane began his current employment at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) as a Senior Quality Engineer.  Due to the numerous extended volunteer hours that Duane has given to the Shriners, LANL presented to Duane at a public presentation a certified certificate and a monitory donation to the Shriners Hospital in the amounts of $250.00 for 2008 and $500.00 for the fiscal year 2009.

Duane’s Masonic life began as a result of the influence of Beverly's Masonic family.  Her Mother and Father were over 25-year member of Eastern Star, her Father and Grandfather were over 50-year Masons, Great Grandfather a Knights Templar in the late 1800’s.  In 1977 Duane was raised as a Master Mason, and still a member, of Martin Lodge No. 624 in Waterloo, Iowa. Duane served as Junior Steward, Senior Steward, and member of the degree team which traveled throughout north east Iowa.  Duane and Beverly both joined the Eastern Star in 1977. A year later, 1978 Duane journeyed to Cedar Rapids where he became a Scottish Rite Mason and was initiated a Noble of the Mystic Shrine in El Kahir Shrine Temple in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Duane transferred his Shrine membership to El Jebel Temple, when they moved to Denver, CO.  He joined the Noble Cycles which rode the elite Honda Gold Wing motorcycle purchasing his first new one in 1982 and another new Gold Wing Aspencade in 1986. This motorcycle precision drill team competed in WSA, CSSA, and Imperial Shrine competitions throughout North America, and Eight times the Unit won the Shrine National Motorcycle Drill Championship.  Duane progressed through the Unit’s office positions, was appointed 1st Lieutenant in the drill team and elected the Noble Cycle Unit's President in 1988.  In 1989 Duane joined the El Jebel Mariners and here too proceeded through the Unit’s ranks and was elected as the Mariners Unit's Commodore (President) in 1991.  He was also honored as being named an Ambassador for El Jebel Temple on two different occasions 1989 and 1992.  During Duane’s time with El Jebel Temple he sponsored a child to the Salt Lake Shriners Hospital and was always involved in all Temple activities where he sponsored and transported children to Temple functions.

 
Duane transferred his Shrine membership to Ballut Abyad Temple in 2003.  Joined the Santa Fez Shrine Club and immediately joined the Legion of Honor and was elected as 3rd and then 1st Lieutenant in 2004 - 2005.  Was a Divan Aide to PP Lonnie and Margaret Hedrick in 2004.  Potentate, Dr. Al Chatfield, appointed Duane to the Divan line in 2005 as 2nd Ceremonial Master.  Duane has served and fulfilled the appointed positions as 2nd Ceremonial Master, 1st Ceremonial; the elected positions as Oriental Guide, High Priest and Prophet, Assistant Rabban, and currently Chief Rabban.  Duane has always fulfilled his obligation as a Shrine Member and especially his duties as an appointed and elected Divan Member and has always attended all required functions of his office.  In 2007, after the Oriental Guide seminar in Tampa, FL Duane completed, and is the only Divan Member to complete, the "Imperial Leadership Program “and was awarded a Certificate of such by Imperial Sir Nick Thomas.

Duane’s purpose and motto is “Lead and Promote the Shrine of North America by Example for our Shrine Children”