THE LOSS OF DOROTHY FECHT FETTERHOFF

Dorothy Fetterhoff
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Dorothy Eileen Fetterhoff, 89, of Jackson and formerly a well-known business owner of Fetterhoff True Value Hardware in Marble Hill, Mo., died Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home.

She was born Aug. 4, 1921, in Mexico, Mo., the daughter of William Thomas and Mildred Irene Crites Fecht.

She attended 12 years of school at St. Brendan's School in Mexico, graduating as class valedictorian in 1939. She worked as the society editor and reporter for the Mexico newspapers.

She and Elmer Clyde Fetterhoff were married June 30, 1940, at St. Brendan Church in Mexico. After 60 years of marriage, Elmer preceded Dorothy in death July 6, 2000.

Dorothy and Elmer and their family came to Lutesville, Mo., in 1950 where they owned and operated Fetterhoff's Western Auto Store, later changing to Fetterhoff's Furniture and True Value Hardware. After 27 years they retired and sold the business to their oldest son, Bill, and his wife, Carol.

Dorothy was active in civic, business and school affairs. She was instrumental in organizing the Marble Hill-Lutesville Business Club and served a number of times as president. She was a member of St. John Catholic Church at Leopold, where for 25 years she co-chaired the Olde Gifte Shop at the annual church picnic. She was a past president of the Junior Woman's Club, and received the Woman of the Year Award, along with a club recognition of the Shell Award for their successful effort to establish a medical doctor in the community. She attended Immaculate Conception Church in Jackson following her move to Jackson.

She is survived by four children, William G. (Carol) Fetterhoff and Anita E. (Bill) Fahrenkrog, both of Jackson, Thomas W. Fetterhoff of Enterprise, Fla., and Carl E. Fetterhoff of Springfield, Mo.; eight grandchildren, K. Scott Fetterhoff, Tamara Davault, both of Marble Hill, Cynthia Hayes of Lincoln, Neb., Mary Catherine Hoffman of Perryville, Mo., Elizabeth Anne Fetterhoff of Deland, Fla., Cheryl Hubbard of Enterprise, Monica Warner of Bristol, Fla., and Michael Fetterhoff of Seffer, Fla.; 11 great-grandchildren; a sister, Mary Genevieve Rebbe of Everett, Wa.; and two brothers, Dr. Gerald Fecht of Tarzana, Calif., and Robert W. Fecht of Clermont, Fla.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2010, at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill.

Parish prayers will be at 7 p.m. at the funeral home.

A funeral Mass will be at St. John Catholic Church at Leopold at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept 9, with Father John Harth officiating.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

ST. BRENDAN SCHOOL CLASS PLAY OF 1939

(Click on image to enlarge)
Clipping kept by Mildred Fecht
This image features four Fecht cousins who attended Saint Brendan High School in 1939. They are: Ross Sullivan (family of Dora Fecht Sullivan), Carl Fecht (family of John C. Fecht) and James and Dorothy Fecht (grandchildren of William Charles Fecht). All four are descendants of Margaret (Bost) and Jacob Fecht,

"St. Brendan's Senior Play Cast"
"Seniors at St. Brendan's Parochial School, who Wednesday night, presented their annual play. The entertainment "Modern Youth" will be repeated tonight. Pictured left to right, are (back row)standing, Frank Di Blasi, Ross Sullivan, Donald McLaughlin, Robert Torrance, Carl Fecht, Robert Phillips and James Fecht; front row seated, Rosalie Mudd, Helen French Harris, Dorothy Fecht and Betty Mae Dobyns and Ellen Jane Haycraft who introduced the play and characters. $257.25 has already been made on the play."
(Likely from the Mexico Ledger)

ROSS SULLIVAN AND DOROTHY FECHT

Ross Joseph Sullivan and his cousin Dorothy Fecht on the day of their First Communion. Ross is the son of David Daniel Sullivan, the grandson of Dora Fecht Sullivan and the great grandson of Jacob and Margaret (Bost) Fecht.
Ross is the oldest child of Louise Elizabeth (Hunn) Sullivan> He was born on the 23rd of March, 1922 and raised in Mexico, Missouri. Ross was baptised a Christian in the Roman Catholic church and attended St. Brendan’s Catholic School in Mexico, for 12 years. Ross was in the same grade and class as his cousin Dorothy Fecht.

AT THE FARM OF WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH FECHT

L to R.
boy is Jimmie Fecht, William Charles Fecht, Dorothy Fecht, Elizabeth Ann (Walsh) Fecht
children:
Marjorie Fecht and Robert W. Fecht

Jimmie, Dorothy, Marjorie and Robert are the great great grandchildren of Margaret (Bost) and Jacob Fecht.
William C. Fecht built this "home place" farm house on the site of an earlier farm house.

LEONA CRITES COMES TO VISIT

Family of Bill and Mildred Fecht.
top row L to R
Bill Fecht, Hugh Hogan Jimmie Fecht (little boy) and Leona Belle Weaver Crites (seated on porch railing)
Mildred Fecht, Julia Hogan and Dorothy Fecht
It was quite an adjustment for Leona Crites to get used to the Fecht family. Though she had been born into a Lutheran Christian family, she became a member of the Church of the Brethren (Dunkers) and generally uncomfortable around Catholic adults. Her grandchildren however mellowed her and she grew more accepting of the different form of Christianity that her daughter had chosen. She never accepted the racial prejudices expressed by her daughter's Missouri inlaws.

REUNION IN WASHINGTON STATE

The last reunion of Mildred Fecht with her five children.
L to R: Robert William, Gerald Richard, and James Louis Fecht
Dorothy Fecht, Mildred Fecht and Mary Genevieve Fecht
This photograph was taken in the front of Genevieve's home in Snohomish, Washington. Maiden names are excluded for identity security.

UNEXPECTED TREASURE!

Here's a photograph just sent to this blog by Dr. Dan Sullivan of Mildred and Bill Fecht with their oldest child Dorothy.
My purpose at the onset of this project was to get Jim Fecht's photo albums out to our cyber familly, and to make a cd of the photos as I downsize the bulky (and, falling apart) albums.
This photo of my parents changes things for, since I've never seen this photograph before. Unexpected rewards - thanks Dan.

MILDRED FECHT AND BABY

Dr. Dan Sullivan sent these two photographs of Mildred Fecht and her first child Dorothy.

DOROTHY FECHT AS A CHILD

The oldest child of Mildred and William T. Fecht is Dorothy. Her mother's fragile health and the rapid arrival of siblings caused Dorothy to become her three brothers and one sister, "big sister" in every measure of those words.
Dorothy has lived a long an productive life and is much loved.

BILL AND MILDRED FECHT'S EARLY FAMILY

Bill Fecht's family and Elizabeth Fecht his mother.

This photograph was taken when Bill and Mildred Fecht's family was young. At the top left is Grandmother Elizabeth Ann (Walsh) Fecht and Mildred and Bill Fecht. The girl is Dorothy and the little boy is James (Jimmie). The photograph was cropped but the buildings were left in, since they give an idea of what the rear of the "home place" looked like.
Mildred was often bewildered by the large Catholic, southern family in which she married. Grandmother Elizabeth Fecht was pure Irish and was the matriarch of the family. Fortunately, she was also kind and generous to her young daughter-in-law from North Dakota.

Refer to Picture # 19