Darby Davis Doguet

Darby Davis Doguet was born March 7^th, 1931, in Basile, LA; the oldest of Fabius and Alena Doguet. Darby had two younger brothers, Emery and Ronnie.

One fateful night, Darby attended the Saturday Night Social and met his future bride who he married a few months later on December 11, 1949 and she became Dee Doguet. They were married for 72 years.

Shortly after marriage, they were living in Lafayette, LA, and started their family with a son, David Lynn. They later moved to Bay City, TX, where Darby started his career in the rice business at Independent Rice Dryer, while Dee worked at Dickie’s Grocery Store. In 1954, the family grew again with another son, Michael Darby, and then moved to Alvin, TX, where Darby went to work for Newman Rice Mill. In 1955, the family welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Debra Ann. Not long after, they moved back to Bay City where Darby became Assistant Manager at Independent Rice Dryer. The family continued to grow with their second daughter, Deanna Marie, in 1960. Then in March 1962 came another daughter, Pamela Denise. In April of 1963, the family moved to Beaumont, TX where Darby went to work for Comet Rice Mill as their rice grader. In November of the same year, the baby of the family, Donna Alice, was born.

Soon after, Darby said “That’s enough!”, and the family was set.

In 1975, Darby moved the family to Winnie, TX, where Darby took a job as the General Manager of the Winnie Rice Farmers Co-op and Dee also worked as their bookkeeper. Darby and Dee worked side by side for several years and then started their own company, the Chambers County Seed Company. In 1975 their first grandchild was born, and they began to be known as Mawmaw and Pawpaw. In 1979, they purchased the old Amelia Rice Dryer and started Doguet’s Grain & Seed Company, which eventually became Doguet’s Rice Milling Company. They built the company from the ground up and passed it on to be run by their children in 1997 when they retired. He will be missed by all but will be remembered forever by being the Founder of Doguet’s Rice Mill.

Darby was the patriarch of our family and reminding us regularly in case we forgot.

Darby did not have many hobbies, with 6 kids to feed, he worked many hours between the rice business and part time jobs, but his real passion was the music business. He loved playing music; he had his own band for several years. He recorded a couple of records and even played solo gigs with his guitar and drummer boy. He loved both cajun and country music. He even dabbled in the recording business, building a small recording studio in Winnie at his seed plant.

He loved his wife, six kids, numerous grandkids and great-grandkids; and truly loved life until his final breath. He lived a wonderful life on earth and is now having a glorious life in Heaven.

Memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of Sorrow Catholic Church, 245 West Highway 90, China, Texas 77613.

A gathering of Mr. Doguet’s family and friends will begin at 5:00 p.m., with his Rosary to be recited at 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 25, 2024, at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, 245 West Highway 90, China, with his interment to follow at China Cemetery, China.