Burckel Thomas Kraus was born December 29, 1926 in New Orleans Louisiana the youngest of six children to Alma Burckel Kraus and Gustav Carl Kraus. He was a graduate of Tulane University. Burckel was a very talented man. He loved to garden, sculpt, paint, design, build furniture, and travel. He had an incredible amount of energy. Burckel married Laura Shelton (deceased March 2017) on July 3, 1947. They had 4 children Laura Boyd, Albert Kraus, Erich Kraus (deceased Nov 2017) and Conrad Kraus; 10 grandchildren along with 14 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. Burckel retired from Shell Oil Company in 1980 after 37 years of service. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Houston since 1980 when they were transferred from New Orleans to Houston by Shell Oil Company. He was a loving father, grandfather, and husband. Burckel was also an avid reader and lover of classical music. He always had a project in the works. His mind was always working. Mama always said "there wasn't a day he didn't go to Home Depot". When they decided to build a house in Bellaire, Burckel designed the house. He then built a model of the house, much to the surprise of the builder and architect. What a wonderful legacy he leaves for his family. When Burckel talked about Laura, he always said the moment he set eyes on her he knew "that silly girl" was the one for him.