Remembering Langston (Butch) Nathaniel DeBerry

Hello, family. Glenda Taylor remembers her late brother with this tribute.

Early Years

Mama Rhea’s second-oldest daughter, Ada (Ater), born in 1924, married Nathaniel DeBerry in 1942. They built their home in Franklin, Virginia, which is where Langston “Butch” DeBerry was born and lived until he married Ruth Robinson in 1965. Together, Ada and Nathaniel gave Mama Rhea three grandchildren: Langston (Butch), Linda (Sister) and Glenda (Lynn).

Butch was extraordinarily kind, always watching out for anyone who crossed his path—especially his family. He embodied compassion, honesty, hard work, and an instinct to nurture. He was an upstanding son, brother, husband, father, and friend—a rare soul who combined a soft, empathetic heart with strong, principled character. His actions were always helpful, selfless, and entirely trustworthy.

Summer Months on the Farm

Starting the very day school let out for the summer, Butch spent his break on the farm with Mama Rhea. Uncle Lewis Barnes, Mama Rhea’s oldest son, lived across the road with his four boys and two girls. His oldest son, Elmer (“Bobby”), and Butch became far more than just first cousins—they were each other’s “ride or die.” Thick as thieves and joined at the hip, they even considered themselves brothers from another mother.

Childhood Mischief 

At first, Butch wasn’t allowed to cross the road on his own to play at Bobby’s house. Instead, the two boys would stand directly across from each other with the dirt road between them, finding ways to stay connected.

Mama Rhea didn’t generally allow anyone but Butch to pick fruit from her apple and peach trees. After she went inside for the evening, Butch would gather apples and peaches and launch them across the road to Bobby.

They were both allowed to head up on the hill to gather and eat mulberries, as well as target-shoot at birds with their BB guns—afterward carefully extracting the BBs to use again. One day, Bobby and Butch were standing about 50 yards apart on opposite sides of the road with their guns.

Bobby owned a classic Daisy BB gun, while Butch owned a rifle-style gun, reminiscent of a classic Western movie. Thinking they were too far apart for Butch’s rifle to reach him, Bobby dared Butch to shoot him square in the forehead, confident the BB would drop before hitting him. Butch took aim and hit Bobby right on the forehead. Bobby learned his lesson that day. When Uncle Lewis asked what happened to his head, Bobby covered for his partner in crime, lying and saying he fell down and hit his head—there was no way he was getting Butch in trouble with the adults.

Bond with Mama Rhea 

Butch was Mama Rhea’s main companion, and she looked forward to his arrival every summer. His mornings began early, feeding the chickens and hogs. Mama Rhea took pride in guiding Butch, teaching him how to manage and work the land—responsibilities he was eager to take on to make her proud.

Around 10:00 AM on weekdays, once the morning dew dried off the crops, they would head into the fields to chop out grass and weeds. Since herbicides weren’t used on her land back then, manual hoeing was the only way. They worked the field until noon before heading to the porch or inside for shade, returning around 2:00 PM for another three hours. Mama Rhea chopped one row, and Butch worked the adjacent row right alongside her. Around 5:00 PM, it was time for her to start getting dinner together, while Butch took care of his afternoon chores, feeding and watering the livestock once more.

Late Teens & After High School 

When Butch became a junior in high school, his father, Nathaniel, decided he needed to pursue a path outside of full-time farming.  He got his son a job with salary and benefits at the Union Camp paper mill where he worked.   Though Butch’s full summers on Mama Rhea’s farm came to an end, the work ethic he built there stayed with him forever.

Education

Smart and capable, Butch went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Norfolk State University. He became a true “jack of all trades”—known to friends and family as the man who could do it all. He could build a porch, add an entire room to the house, or replace the starter in your Ford F-150 (and even replace the engine, if you had a few weeks to spare!).

Butch would jokingly claim he could have been a collegiate athlete if it hadn’t been for his love of Salem cigarettes. 

Husband

But above all else, what Butch was truly best at was being a beloved husband, father, brother, son, and uncle.

Butch worked tirelessly to provide for his wife, Ruth, and their sons, Langston Nathaniel (“J.C.”) and Rodney Eugene (“Dutch”).                                     

Father 

 Yet somehow, he had a way of making the brief time he had off feel like he had been home with them all day. Whether it was playing basketball in the backyard, trying to teach his boys how to find a wall stud (a skill Dutch never quite mastered), or watching Dutch eat an entire can of Vienna sausages while he and J.C. hunted deep in the woods, Butch made every moment quality time.

 As his boys grew into men, the life lessons he taught became their mold and blueprint for raising their own families.

Every milestone since—college graduations, marriages, and grandchildren earning their degrees—comes with the bittersweet wish that Butch were here to celebrate. But make no mistake: his family knows with 100% certainty that it was his giant footsteps that paved the way for every single achievement. 

We are all deeply proud to be part of the family that made Langston Nathaniel “Butch” DeBerry the man he was, because he, in turn, made his boys the men they are today.

On February 28, 1997, the boys’ mentor, life coach, biggest supporter, and father went on to glory.

Brother

In addition to his immediate family, Butch maintained a deep bond of love, kindness, and protection with his sisters, Linda and Glenda. They always knew without a doubt that he was just a phone call away whenever they needed anything.                  

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