Hubler history W. R. Hubler, Jr., M. D

Nueces County, Texas

The early history of Corpus Christi and Nueces County is shrouded in mystery, partly because (1) the area was remote; (2) the region’s was a buffer zone between Mexico and the United States filled with entrepreneurs with shady allegiance to Mexico or Texas, and (3) all records were lost when the Hurricane of 1919 destroyed the official repositories in Nueces County.

Controversy rages among local historians about the first visitation of Europeans. Most say that the Spaniard, Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda, sailed off shore on the Feast of Corpus Christi Day in 1519 and named the bay after the religious day, Corpus Christi.¹⁸²⁹ Pineda was 25 years old when he was sent from Jamaica by the governor of the Spanish colony, Francisco de Garay, who financed the expedition with the intention of finding riches along the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Some historians believe that the governor of Jamaica was competing with his Cuban counterpart who sent Hernado Cortez to Mexico. Pineda mapped nearly 600 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline, including rivers and bays. When he arrived in Vera Cruz in late 1519, Pineda found Cortez (who in the ensuing two years had conquered the Aztecs and had captured tons of gold) and had to evade capture by Cortez (who jealously guarded the land and riches that he had claimed for his Cuban benefactor). Pineda’s map is now in Seville, Spain.¹⁸³⁰, ¹⁸³¹

A few groups of Spaniards may have trod the soil in Nueces Tract, but it is clear that the indigenous Native Americans, the Karankawas, and the migratory Native Americans, the Comanches, ruled the area for 250 years before the first European discovered the land.

The Karankawa Indians were unique. The ancestral origins of the tribe are not clear, but some believe that they sailed by canoe from the Caribbean Islands thousands of years before their contact with the Old World. Reputed to be gigantic (6’ 6” tall as opposed to the 5”2” European men of the time), primitive, war-like and cannibalistic, the coastal Indians migrated along the Gulf coast living off seafood and shellfish caught from the shallow bays and berries and plants growing at the edge of the marshes. The Karankawa left no buildings, and there have been few campsites or burials found for these elusive residents. White settlers eventually decimated the Karankawa, and by 1820, their last group disappeared, and their tribe became extinct.

“Nueces” means “nuts” in Spanish. By legend, Spanish conquistadors or Mexican vaqueros were impressed by the natural occurrence of pecan trees growing along the major river in South Texas and named the waterway after the trees. Many years later when Texas became an organized entity, the county was named after its river, Nueces.

A few Mexican rancheros and vaqueros dared the desolate terrain and war-like Indians to scratch out existence in South Texas in the 1700’s; and it was not until the 1820’s that empresarios brought Irish and German immigrants that the population of the isolated country climbed. In 1839, Henry Kinney founded a trading post, which eventually evolved into Corpus Christi.

The history of Nueces County began when Texas became a state in the USA in 1845. A rural area whose bovine population outnumbered people, Nueces County has survived many desperate times from economic depressions to hurricane-induced disasters. The cultures of the United States, Europe and Mexico combine and clash along a beautiful bay whose economy is based on trade, oil, tourism and the military. Into this mosaic, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) moved his family in 1947.

Winthrope R. HUBLER, Sr. (1916 -1993)

Winthrope R. HUBLER, Sr. (July 31, 1916 Youngstown, OH-Sept. 20, 1993 Corpus Christi,

TX)

Marie Theresa Seale (Nov. 18, 1918 Jennings, LA-Jan. 29, 1988 Corpus Christi, TX) (m 1942)

Winthrope R. HUBLER, Jr. (b July 9, 1945 Cleveland, OH) (m Sherron Forrester)

Holly Michelle HUBLER (b Oct. 23, 1978 Corpus Christi, TX)

Lloyd David HUBLER (b Nov. 9, 1947 Youngstown, OH) (m Nancy Flodine)

Richard Andrew HUBLER (b Jan. 6, 1976 Wichita, KS)

Brian Davis HUBLER (b Oct. 24, 1978 Dallas, TX)

Helen Mullen (b June 28, 1934 Waco, TX) (m 1974)

Winthrope R. HUBLER, Sr. (1916-1993) was born on July 31, 1916 in Youngstown, Ohio. His father, L.L. HUBLER (1886-1972) and his mother, Edith WEBER (1883-1951), married in Cleveland, Ohio in 1913. Three years later, along came W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993). His birth was not easy because of his mother's fragile health. Parental animosity soon arose at his home, and his parents often separated while W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) was a child. He spent his youth shuttling between his mother's hometown of Jackson, Michigan and his father's residence of Birmingham (Ensley), Alabama. He attended 6th grade in Jackson, Michigan at Wilson Elementary School¹⁸³² and the 8th and 9th grades (1929 and 1930) at Ensley Minor School (in 1930, grade 8, his grades were mostly “S+” and his report cards were signed by Mrs. L.L. HUBLER and the address was 2621 18th Court St., Ensley, AL);¹⁸³³ and high school at Ensley High School (his report cards were signed by Mrs. L.L. HUBLER and the address was 2621 18th Court St., Ensley, AL from Jan. 1830 until Jan. 1832, and then his report cards were signed by Mrs. L.L. HUBLER and the address was 2608 18th Court St., Ensley, AL from Jan. 1932 through Jan. 24, 1934).¹⁸³⁴ Ensley was a Birmingham, Alabama suburb; and the schools are part of the Birmingham School system. In 1934, he was a staff member of his high school newspaper, The Yellow Jacket.¹⁸³⁵ He made mostly A's and high B's in high school.¹⁸³⁶ When W.R. HUBLER (1916-19931933) graduated from high school on Jan. 24, 1934, his name was listed on the diploma as "Winthrope Robert HUBLER" and had his degree in the “Arts.”¹⁸³⁷

W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) entered Howard College on Jan. 29, 1934. His local address was 2516 Ensley Ave., Ensley, AL, and he was living at home with his father, L.L. HUBLER (1886-1972), a civil engineer. His religious preference was “Presbyterian.” He took PE (F), Composition (A), Inorganic chemistry (A) and European history (A). His name was recorded on the school enrollment papers as "Winthrope HUBLER."¹⁸³⁸ Howard College is now Samford University (800 Lake Shore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229). Transcripts from Howard College were sent to the University of Alabama (7/34), the University of Indiana (1/36), the University of Virginia (1/36) and Birmingham Southern College (3/35).¹⁸³⁹ He transferred to Birmingham Southern College (Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL 35254) in the spring of 1935 and was a full time student through the spring term of 1937.¹⁸⁴⁰ His address was 2824 16th Place, N. Birmingham, AL. His father was a “draftsman,” and his religious preference was “Baptist.” He made A's and B's except for a C in poetry appreciation.¹⁸⁴¹ Birmingham Southern College still operates and as currently one of the best small colleges in the South. [Birmingham Southern College is a four-year collegiate liberal arts institution founded in 1856 and operates under the auspices of the Alabama-West Florida and North Alabama Conferences of the United Methodist Church. The campus includes 188 wooded acres in the western section of Birmingham. The college currently has 1,562 students enrolled.]¹⁸⁴²

L.L. HUBLER (1886-1963) and his son, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993), lived in Ensley until 1937 when L.L. HUBLER (1886-1963) moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend medical school at Northwestern Medical School. The official transcript of Northwestern Medical School showed that Winthrope R. HUBLER (1916-1993) began as a freshman on Sept. 29, 1937, earned a Bachelor of Medicine on June 14, 1941 and a Doctor of Medicine on June 13, 1942. He made all A's and B's except for one C in histology in the 1st quarter of his freshman year.¹⁸⁴³ He did a rotating internship at Charity Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana from June 1941 until June 1942 where he received the paltry annual salary of $100 for one of the most demanding jobs of the day.¹⁸⁴⁴

His mother, Edith HUBLER (1883-1951), followed W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) everywhere throughout his life. A domineering, religious women, she monitored his every move and scrutinized his choices in life. Later, he would rebel; but her presence certainly influenced his life.

While W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) was an intern in New Orleans (he completed his internship on June 13, 1942), he met a dark haired, blue-eyed Louisiana beauty, Marie Theresa Seale (1918-1988). She was a registered nurse at Charity Hospital who years later delighted in telling unsuspecting persons that they met in the Venereal Disease clinic.¹⁸⁴⁵ On May 20, 1942, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) married Marie Theresa Seale (1918-1988). His mother, Edith WEBER (1883-1951), attended the nuptials; but his father, L.L. HUBLER (1886-1963), did not. It is doubtful that his parents ever attended anything together; their separation was complete. Most of her Seale family was there in New Orleans at the spring wedding. A honeymoon trip was to Mississippi and was short—there was little time-off for interns and nurses, and his picayune salary further limited their travel.

W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) started a dermatology residency at University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio (Case Western Reserve) under Dr. Howard Cole as Assistant Resident from July 1, 1942 to June 30, 1943 and Resident from July 1, 1943 to Jan. 11, 1944; ¹⁸⁴⁶ but he found that too much of his time was spent on syphilis there, and he wanted to move his training to Cleveland Clinic. The irascible Dr. Cole would not let him leave, unless he could find a replacement. (His description of the hard-nosed Dr. Cole was not nice, but throughout all years in practice, he proudly displayed an autographed photo of Dr. Cole on the wall at his office.)¹⁸⁴⁷ Anyway, he arranged for Dr. James Strough (now in dermatology practice in San Antonio, TX) to finish his time at Case Western, and he completed his training at Cleveland Clinic from Jan. 1944 to Aug. 1945 under the world-renowned (and very nice) dermatologist, Dr. Netherton. The only problem was that they did not have a residency program in dermatology established at Cleveland Clinic yet, so he was given the position of "Special Fellow in Dermatology" and was salaried at a much higher rate than the residents in other fields at Cleveland Clinic and his old residency position at Case Western.¹⁸⁴⁸, ¹⁸⁴⁹ Dr. Netherton often wrote personal, warm letters to W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) for years after he completed his residency.

Marie Seale (1918-1993) worked at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio as a head nurse, and W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) made $1,000 or more a year as a “Special Fellow.” His address in Cleveland during his training at University Hospitals (Case Western) was 1862 East 101st St., Cleveland, OH.¹⁸⁵⁰ The couple had their first child, W.R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945), on July 9, 1945. Marie Seale (1918-1988) worked until three weeks before delivery, which happened fast. W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) almost missed the birth.

It was difficult to break the HUBLER foothold in Ohio, and W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) returned to the family stronghold of Youngstown, Ohio to practice after finishing his medical (dermatological) training in Cleveland, Ohio in 1945. He began dermatology practice in Youngstown at 244 Lincoln Ave. (a four-story building including the basement which served as house and office; purchased from Dr. Fred Norris in Aug. 1945 for $10,000 on "doctor's row;" ¹⁸⁵¹ however, in March 2000, the whole block had no buildings at all¹⁸⁵²) in association with Dr. Claude B. Norris¹⁸⁵³ (Dr. Norris retired at age 60),¹⁸⁵⁴ and he announced the opening of his practice at 244 Lincoln Ave. on Sept. 10, 1945. He was examined and received a Certificate in Dermatology by the American Board of Dermatology and Syphilology on July 1, 1947.¹⁸⁵⁵ But, snow flakes and graphite particles from all the steel foundries in Youngstown polluted the air.¹⁸⁵⁶ In late 1947, tried of cold, smoggy Ohio, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) left a lucrative, successful dermatological practice in Youngstown and took his two sons and wife to Texas to begin a new life far from HUBLER country in Ohio and his family.¹⁸⁵⁷

Seeking a place for himself and his family, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) when south to find the “right” spot and scouted out Lake Charles, LA and Corpus Christi, TX. The latter won out.

In 1948, Corpus Christi, Texas was a sleepy town with a population of 90,000¹⁸⁵⁸ on the Gulf of Mexico. The economy of the town was based on farming, an infant oil industry and a World War II vintage US Naval Air Station. It was a perfect spot for W. R. HUBLER (1916-1993) and his family. The smog and snow of Ohio were far left behind for the clear, sunny skies and sand of South Texas. Although Corpus Christi was about 100 years old, growth had been slow; and lifestyles remained rural. Most of the residents were Anglo American with an increasing Hispanic population; however, cattle outnumbered people. W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) hunkered down to begin a practice in dermatology, which would last almost 40 years.

W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) and Marie Seale (1918-1988) bought a house at 2824 Devon Dr., Corpus Christi, Texas from Mr. and Mrs. Urban B. Jackson on June 2, 1948 and had a 10-year mortgage of $5,592 annually.¹⁸⁵⁹ Marie Seale (1918-1988), 3 year-old W.R. (Billy) HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945 ) and 11-month old Lloyd (Davey) HUBLER (b 1946) arrived in September 1948.

After practicing for about one and one half years in an old house near Spohn Hospital and in the second floor of a two story building at 460 Clifford St. near Six Points in Corpus Christi, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) opened his permanent practice at 1510 S. Brownlee Blvd [a triangle of land in the bright, bustling area of Corpus Christi bought by W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) in early 1949] on Nov. 15, 1950.¹⁸⁶⁰ (The building was a Jewish synagogue whose congregation had outgrown the synagogue.)¹⁸⁶¹ The structure had few partitions, so W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) divided it. As time went by, he rented part to a dentist (Dr. John Peterson) and later a bookkeeper (Mr. Obmermiller). However, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1933) stayed there until he retired in 1986, even though the neighborhood fell into disrepair and became left in the "bad" part of town as Corpus Christi grew southward leaving Brownlee Blvd. behind. (In 1999, Six Points began a resurgence in commerce, and some local businessmen began to extol the benefits of the area.)

W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) was in medical school during World War II, and so was exempted from military duty; but in 1953 Uncle Sam called, and he was drafted on April 9, 1953¹⁸⁶² when he was 37. W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) hated the military and especially the prospect of being in a “trench” with the U. S. Army, so he immediately contacted his local U. S. Congressional Representative (a personal friend and a patient) and Texas Senator to have his draft noticed recalled. The only way out of the dilemma was to join the U. S. Navy for a three-year stint (vs. two years in the Army) [also, with a higher rank (and higher pay) and a better station].¹⁸⁶³ Thus, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) enlisted as a Lt. Commander on May 29, 1953.¹⁸⁶⁴ His draft notice was cancelled on April 30, 1953.

W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) contracted with a dermatologist (Dr. William Best who later practiced dermatology in Corpus Christi until he died in an accident) to take his medical practice and rented his house in Corpus Christi while he was in Navy. For three years, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) was a Lt. Commander in the US Navy and was stationed at Long Island, New York City (May 1953-Feb. 1954), Yokasuka, Japan (Feb. 1954-April 1955), and Treasure Island, Oakland, California (April 1955-Nov. 1955). Quarterly assessment of his performance as a military office by his varying commanding captains uniformly praised him as a man and physician (intelligence, judgment, initiative, loyalty, etc.); however, not surprisingly, he was not considered “highly adaptable to military service.”¹⁸⁶⁵ [In many ways, he liked the pomp of the military (especially since he had a high rank on “the food chain),” but he was always uncomfortable with the regimentation and the loss of control.] He was honorably discharged on Nov. 30, 1955 (# 569585).

It was after the Korean Conflict, but the Far East bristled with guns and jingoism. W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) had an exalted position as the only Navy dermatologist in the theater, but he did not like the military, despite the terrific tours of duty in New York, Japan and California. He was anxious to return to civilian life in Texas.

After his military service, Corpus Christi and his medical practice grew steadily; and W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) became a masterful, respected dermatologist and citizen of South Texas; and his wife, Marie Seale (1918-1988), became an avante-guard matriarch of social and educational attitudes in the community. However, W.R HUBLER (1916-1993) did not forget his roots. He cared for his mother, Edith WEBER (1883-1951), his maternal great aunt, Tina WEBER, and her husband, Fred Larkey, from Jackson, Michigan and his father, L.L. HUBLER (1886-1972), from Gadsden, Alabama--all of whom moved to Corpus Christi when they retired; and he frequently visited with his HUBLER kinfolk in Youngstown, Ohio.

As was her custom to be always near her son, Edith WEBER (1883-1951) moved to Corpus Christi soon after W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) in 1948. She rented a small house or apartment and lived there until she returned to her sister's home in Jackson, Michigan in 1950. After Edith WEBER (1883-1951) died in Michigan in 1851, her brother-in-law, Fred Larkey, retired; and Fred and Tina Larkey moved to Corpus Christi in 1952 and bought a small house. Fred Larkey died in Corpus Christi about two years later and Tina WEBER Larkey lived in a nursing home until she died in 1961. L.L. HUBLER (1886-1972) lived in Corpus Christi at the HUBLER home on Devon St. after his retirement in 1957 until he returned to Gadsden to be with his old girlfriend and future second wife, Mabel Taylor in 1960.

W. R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945) was a typical first child—intense, independent and abrasive, and he often was introspective and enjoyed solitude. When he developed a slowly progressive ataxia in high school, his affliction made him focus his intensity toward achievement; and he aimed his abilities toward a medical career. His dreams of success would have been dashed without the support of his cheerleader family. In 1965, he left home for college.

David HUBLER (b 1947) had a different personality. He was a jovial juvenile who often watched with amusement as his brother, W. R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945), railed against the establishment. He excelled in all intellectual and physical activity. Clever and innovative, he decided on a medical career almost as a challenge. When David HUBLER (b 1947) left home for school in 1967, the quiet must have been deafening.

With proud parental support, both of the sons of W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) decided to pursue medical careers. Their elder son, W.R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945), attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas while the younger boy, Lloyd David HUBLER (b 1947), was a UT student all the way through medical school. Both sons married while in medical training and grandchildren followed. Later, Lloyd David HUBLER (b 1947) specialized in orthopedic surgery and settled in Dallas, Texas; and W.R. (Bill) HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945) returned to Corpus Christi to join his father in dermatological medicine.

In the late 1960's, there was trouble in the HUBLER home in Corpus Christi. With their "nest" empty in 1967, Marie Seale (1918-1988) and W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) could not cope. She sought help in the bottomless pit of dipsomania, and he stepped in the quicksand of cupidity. The couple separated. It must have brought back all of the memories of his parental estrangement, and W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) could not handle the solitude and rejection. W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) and Marie Seale (1918-1988) were divorced in on May 1, 1972. It was not amicable.

Shortly afterward, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) met Helen Mullen (b 1934) at the Veterans Clinic that was next door to his office on Brownlee Blvd. He owned the building, and as usual for him, he did the small maintenance jobs to save money and because he had the skills of a handyman, as well as, a dermatologist. It was on one of the fix-it chores that he met Helen Mullen. Later, she would laugh when she recalled that she fell for a janitor, since she did not know who he was. Helen Mullen was a social worker for the Veterans Administration and gave W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) the psychological and emotional support, the vitality and the joie de vivre that he craved and needed after his divorce from Marie Seale (1918-1988). It later became clear that her apparent pristine attributes may have hidden ulterior motives, but it is clear that she gave W. R. HUBLER (1916-1993) succor and understanding.

W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) married Helen Mullen (b 1934) on a cruise off Italy (the Isle of Capri) by the ship's captain on October 20, 1974 with Dr. and Mrs. Herb Madelin of Corpus Christi as witnesses. They liked traveling, especially cruises, and were happily married. In 1975, his son, W.R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945), joined his medical practice. At last, his life at home and at work had once again became intellectually stimulated, peaceful and productive.

In November 1985, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) while he was stopped at a left turn signal, his car was struck from behind by Dr. Luis Banbandiaran in Corpus Christi. The collision was minor and caused no significant damage to his vehicle. However, the accident occurred a few weeks before his memory loss began, and he blamed his condition on the wreck and sued the driver. But really, the symptoms gradually appeared years before as the memory of W. R. HUBLER (1916-1993) slowly began to fail, and the accident only accelerated the condition. [Recently, studie have shown that persons with a genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease may be very susceptible to developing Alzheimer’s disease after brain damage, such as, strokes, head injuries (which might be mild or even after a loss of consciousness) or open-heart surgery. ¹⁸⁶⁶ Thus, the trauma might have accelerated a mild cognitive impairment. Thus, his claim might have had legitimacy. Also, his uncle, Edwin HUBLER, suffered head trauma before the onset of dementia, and his grandfather, A.W. Hubler (1942-1921) might have suffered trauma, too.] At first, he was able to compensate for the defect; but by 1986, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) was diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease, and he had to retire from his medical practice in December 1988. He did wanted to retire, but there was no choice. He sued Dr. Bandandiaran for his loss and received an out-of-court settlement.

His family watched in horror as a disease without a known cause or cure destroyed his mind. W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) lived at home with his wife, Helen Mullen , until Nov. 3, 1990 when his physical and mental disabilities became uncontrollable; and he was incarcerated in Westwood Manor Nursing Center in Corpus Christi.

Always walking, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) enjoyed the warmth of sunlight as he ambulated in the outdoor, secure patio for patients at the nursing home. His skin tanned (an anathema to the sunlight-conscious dermatologist that he was before). His hair grayed (from the brown that he had maintained with hair dye). His 5'11" frame remained unbowed and rail thin (he never had a weight problem despite ingesting mounds of fattening food). All in all, the physical status of W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) remained good. Although he existed in a world of his own and did not recognize his surroundings, he seemed happy and did not show the violence that is so characteristic of Alzheimer's Disease. (He had some violent times at home before his nursing home time, but he received some sedating medicine at the nursing center, so his existence there was sweet, cooperative and peaceful.) However, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) could no longer remember his roots, family or personal history. Helen Mullen visited him several times a week, and she always brought him ice cream "goodies" for his insatiable sweet tooth. Before his affliction began, he said that he was allergic to ice cream; but with his memory gone, he relaxed and reveled in the "Blizzards" from Dairy Queen. His daughter-in-law, Sherron HUBLER, often visited him, and his long-time employee, Edith Scott, was a regular, faithful visitor. His son, W.R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945), seldom saw him because he could not cope with the death of his father's mind, and it was difficult to go to the nursing home in a wheelchair, but he vicariously visited W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) through the ones who saw him often.

In September 1993, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) broke a hip. It was a spontaneous fracture, which is the most common break in older people. The hip was replaced successfully, but he forgot how to walk. A week after the surgery, he returned to the nursing home, but the quality of his life was different as he was trapped in bed, silently starring at the ceiling of his room. At about 9 o'clock in the evening of Monday, Sept. 20, 1993, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) suddenly died.¹⁸⁶⁷ The cause of death is unknown, but he probably suffered a cardiac arrhythmia or pulmonary embolus. A postmortem examination of his brain tissue was performed by a nueropathologist at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. The histopathology report confirmed the clinical diagnosis—advanced Alzheimer’s disease.

Services were held at the Cage-Mills Funeral Home on Everhart Rd. in Corpus Christi at 2 P.M. on Sept. 23, 1993, and he was interred in the Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas on September 24, 1933 in the Mullen family plot next to a spot saved for his wife, Helen Mullen.¹⁸⁶⁸,¹⁸⁶⁹ His Social Security number was 459-76-7195.¹⁸⁷⁰

When the will was read, a dark side of Helen Mullen was revealed.¹⁸⁷¹ In 1989, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) and Helen Mullen signed mirror image trusts, as well as, wills. The trusts were complex. At that time in 1989, W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) was not competent to draft or understand such a will or trust. He had already been tested, and the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was made. He knew the prognosis. His disease had taken his mind; and although his quiet, affable demeanor might have hidden the gravity of his situation, any decision-making or conversation would reveal his problem. (In 1990 he would become a permanent resident of a nursing home and was unable to recognize anyone.) His will named Helen Mullen as the sole beneficiary, except for his jewelry [W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993) disliked jewelry and had very little]. Furthermore, anyone who challenged the will in court would be removed as any beneficiary. Obviously, Helen Mullen had influenced the final wishes of W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993); and in effect, she had disinherited his sons.

Hurt and angered by the situation, David HUBLER (b 1947) and W.R. HUBLER, Jr. (b 1945) filed suit to declare that their father was incompetent in 1989 when the will/trusts were written, and thus he died intestate. Helen Mullen declared that she did not know of an earlier will. The estate suit was settled out of court, but the turmoil was an unsettling end to the life of W.R. HUBLER (1916-1993).