The 62nd Alexander McDougall & Johanna Rahe Family Reunion

June 21, 1987

The Sixty-second Alexander & Johanna McDougall Reunion was held June 21, 1987, at LadyBirdJohnsonPark in Fredericksburg, Texas, at Pav. #3.

A basket lunch was served at 12:30. The business meeting started at 2: P.M. by our new president Kent McDougall by using a table spoon to hit the table for attention. The minutes were read and approved. The treasurer showed a bank balance of $127.64 as of June 16, 1986. Our income for June 21, 1987 was $127.30 and our expenses were $105.47. Left us with a bank balance as of July 1, 1987 with $149.47.

  • Our oldest ladies present were Lydia Bierschwale 88 & Estella McDougall 86.
  • Our oldest men present were Walter (Slick) McDougall 83 & Dr. Henry Hoerster 82.
  • Our youngest child present was Brett Oliver Little – 16 days old.
  • Our youngest father was Jeff Little.
  • Our longest married couples are:
  1. Mr. & Mrs. Rex Ferguson 54 – May 24, 1933
  2. Dr. & Mrs. Henry Hoerster 54 – April 26, 1933
  3. Mr. & Mrs. Clarence McDougall 50 – Dec. 22, 1936
  4. Mr. & Mrs. Walter Zesch 50 – Jan. 14, 1937

We had 86 present as follows:

William 18; John 2; Alanzo 0; Thomas 9; Mary Jane 0; Henry 15; Alex 0; Emma 7; Mathilda 11; Herman 14; and Lillie 9; and 1 guest from Herman’s side.

In our M & M guessing game Holly Durst won the M & M with her guess of 900. There were 904 M & M in that jar.

In our bean guessing game, Mrs. Rex Ferguson won the ladies’ prize with her guess of 8615. There were 8600 and Norman Vick won the men’s guess with 8218.

The one to travel the furthest distance was Mrs. Hugh (Nelcar Benold) Bratton Ruidose, New Mexico.

C.W. McDougall was president of the McDougall Clan for 25 years. Kent, we hope you will last even longer.

Those who have a last McDougall name were asked to stand up. We had 20 present.

It was discussed we’re to have the reunion in 1990. Walter Zesch moved that we stay at Pav. No. 3. Seconded by Ray Jordan. Motion carried.

We had two weddings reported:

  1. Melanie McDougall and David Glacar were married May 23, 1987. She is a daughter of M & M Charles McDougall, granddaughter of Clarence McDougall and a great granddaughter of Uncle (Tom) Thomas McDougall.
  2. Rodney Frantzen and Lou Ann Blankenship were married on Jan. 6, 1985. Rodney is the son of Chester & Lillie Pearl Frantzen and a grandson of Alfred & Sophie McDougall and a descendant of Uncle William.

We had 3 deaths reported:

  1. C.W. McDougall died July 18, 1986. He was 67. He was a son of Herman & Ella Jordan McDougall.
  2. Mrs. Victor Knoll (Nee) Irene Wurich died Sept. 20, 1986. She was 64. She was the daughter of Hugo & Lydia Klaerner Weirick. And a granddaughter of Oma Emma McDougall Klaerner.
  3. Ned C. Luconi died May 26, 1987. He was 82. He was the husband of Elizabeth McDougall and a son-in-law of Otto & Ida Jordan McDougall and a descendant from Uncle John’s side.

We had 8 new babies reported:

  1. Alison Marie Gonsalves was born Jan. 24, 1986. She is the daughter of Steve and Donna Gonsalves. A granddaughter of Donald & Betty McDougall; a great granddaughter of Walter McDougall and a descendant of Henry.
  2. Dustin Kyle Stehling was born July 11, 1986. He is the son of David & Marilyn Stehling, a granddaughter of Reginald & Elizabeth McDougall and a great granddaughter of Walter & Bessie McDougall and a descendant of Uncle Thomas.
  3. Shellie Ann Barker was born July 19, 1986. She is a daughter of John & Debbie Barker and a granddaughter of Alvin & Juanita Barker Jr. and a great granddaughter of Lydia Bierschwale and a descendant of Uncle Thomas.
  4. Carrie Von Donop was born Dec. 10, 1986. She is the third daughter of Larry and Jan Donop, a granddaughter of Herbert & Elvie Zesch Donop, and a descendant of Oma Emma.
  5. Candance Renee Teich was born April 10, 1987. She is the daughter of Dona & Pamela Teich and a granddaughter of Joe Allen McDougall and a great granddaughter of Herman & Juanita McDougall and a descendant of Uncle Herman.
  6. Mary Nell Boyd was born April 15, 1987. She is a daughter of John & Lynnell Boyd, a granddaughter of Douglas & Nell Benold, a great granddaughter of Oscar & Nellie Benold and a descendant of Uncle William.
  7. Brett Oliver Little was born June 5, 1987. He is the son of Jeff & Beth Little and a grandson of Larry & Jill McDougall, a great grandson of Herman & Juanita McDougall, and a descendant of Uncle Herman.
  8. Benjamin Lawrence Zesch was born June 16, 1987. He is the son of Rev. & Mrs. Casey Zesch, and a grandson of Eugene (Gene) & Patsy Zesch, a great grandson of the late Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Zesch and a descendant of Aunt Mathilda.

In our bragging sessions –

  • Chester Frantzen said that they had won 8 trophies showing their roses in rose shows in San Antonio.
  • Mildred Zesch said that their son Bobby became the father of two adopted children on July 17, 1986. Brandi Bradford Zesch was born Feb. 22, 1973 & Brandon Bradford Zesch was born Feb. 11, 1976. They are both the children of Bobby & Sherri Cubo Bradford Zesch, grandchildren of R.C. & Mildred Zesch and Bobby is a great grandchild of Oma Emma.

While the treasurer miscounted the money, Herman McDougall had to tell this little joke – about lovers that got to Heaven and then got married by a preacher in Heaven & when they couldn’t get along with one another they asked the Lord to whom should they go to get their divorce? The Lord said, “ A lawyer, and we don’t have any up here.”

Mildred Zesch confessed that in Dec. of 1983 when they moved lock, stock and barrel from Mason county to McCulloch county, she put the McDougall reunion fund in such a good place that she did not find it back ‘til 1986. The cash made two moves in the bottom drawer of her sewing machine. The cash was deposited in Aug. of 1986 in the Texas American Bank in Fredericksburg, Texas in Alexander & Johanna McDougall Reunion Fund, account no. 108-101-2. Co-signed by Kent McDougall.

Elsie Read said we the McDougalls have the family spirit – this is our 62nd year for our reunion. We need to keep them up. We deserve a halo for keeping the family together. Elsie said in our McDougall history book, she needed funny happenings, how they lived, where & what they did, also any stories. We then appointed one or two members from each family to get their history together in their family.

The following were appointed:

William – Mrs. Rex Ferguson

John – Herbert E. McDougall

Alonzo – Mrs. George McDougall & Lee Ray McDougall

Thomas – Lydia Bierschwale

Mary Jane – Lillie Scott

Henry – Estella McDougall – Slick McDougall (I wonder how Slick got his name.)

Alex – Cora Fry

Emma – Norma Vick

Mathilda – Estella Hoerster & her 2 brothers – Walter & Jimmy Zesch

Herman – Marvin & Herman McDougall

Lillie – Elsie Read

We hope that each and every one will be willing to lend a helping hand.

No further business. Our meeting is adjourned.

Sign: Mildred Zesch

Secretary & Treasurer

  • 1988 Reunion – June 19, Tatch House (No.’s 95500, 95684, 99541)
  • 1989 Reunion – June 18, Pav. No. 3 Pd. For in Jan. ’88. We were again switched to Tatsh House. (No. 3693)
  • 1990 Reunion – June 17, Pav. No. 3 Pd. (No. 12978)

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