ALTHEA FECHT - A NEWSLETTER ARTICLE.

Newsletter of the King's Daughters' Home in Mexico, Missouri. Courtesy of JoAnn Nordlund. (click on image to enlarge)

If you dream of living a long, useful life, our Aunt Althea would be the perfect role model. She was very special to me. Althea was the last of my Father., Bill Fecht's generation. I was lucky to have her in my life. Jerry Fecht

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY

For some reason this snapshot of my Dad's brothers and sister made me very lonesome. I guess, it is the informality of the image and how very much they were, as they are in my memory. It probably didn't help that the public television station in the background was playing sentimental Irish music.
L to R:
Francis (Frank), Lawrence (Uncle Buckie), William (Bill) and Julia (Fecht) Hogan.
Being "Irish" was an important part of being members of the family of Elizabeth Ann (Walsh) and William Charles Fecht. Although these folks were half Alsatian and half Irish, it was the Irish part that seemed to matter. This was no doubt reinforced by the Catholic priests at Saint Brendan Church in Mexico, Missouri, who were Irish. When I was a little boy, I thought God spoke Latin with an Irish accent.
On March 17th, there was a huge corned beef and cabbage dinner at the Saint Brendan church hall. Boiled potatoes, greasy corned beef, over-boiled cabbage (actually my mother Mildred over-boiled nearly everything.) Uncle Lawrence (Buckie) always prepared an elaborate practical joke. My dad smuggled in Irish whisky (not Bushmills, but real Irish whisky Jamesons.) Aunt Effie would bring parsnips and horseradish. Aunt Lena baked Irish soda bread. AND, most important! We got the day off from school, and the Lent abstinence from meat was suspended. Two days later, on the feast of Saint Joseph we had another school holiday. On the day between, the nuns took us to a nearby part to run around. They were smart enough to know that they wouldn't accomplish anything on March 18th.
My dad, Bill Fecht and my sister Genevieve would do Irish jigs after dinner. Aunt Meg (Margaret Fecht) and Uncle Gene Sullivan would dance the shoddish on Patty's night.
My wife Janne and I had big St. Patrick's Day parties for a long time, but since it comes right in the middle of tax season (Janne is a CPA) we look for a saint's day in late April to celebrate.

PHIL SHIRE'S INSIDE JOKE

L to R: Francis (FranK) Fecht, Lawrence Fecht, William T. (Bill) Fecht, William Charles Fecht, Jimmie (boy), John D. (Jack) Fecht, John C. Fecht, Hugh Hogan (Julia Fecht Hogan's husband), and Phil Shire (Ann Fecht Shire's husband).

Phil Shire had a wry and much loved sense of humor. Here Phil mocks Uncle John C. Fecht's stance.

FAMILY OF FRANK AND ALTHEA FECHT

Family of Frank and Althea Fecht
Snapshot of Francis and Althea Fecht, their son Larry and daughter JoAnn.

ALTHEA AND FRANK FECHT

Likely a wedding portrait of Althea and Frank Fecht.
Family stories had it that Frank Fecht fell in love the first moment he saw this lovely farm girl. "He was smitten" said Mildred Fecht.
Althea is the sole remaining member of her generation of Fechts. She resides in a residence home in Mexico, Missouri.

Picture # 21

SONS OF WILLIAM CHARLES FECHT

Fecht Brothers - Collection of Gerald Fecht
Elizabeth Ann (Walsh) and her husband William Charles Fecht had four sons. They are shown here according to their ages.
L to R: John (called Jack), William (called Bill), Laurence (called Buck) and Francis (called Frank).
This photograph may have been taken at the time of their father's funeral, since all four are in suits. The house in the background was the "home place" where their parents lived.
Hierarchy was an important social factor in the family. The oldest daughter, Annie was the most influential of the Fecht children, then Jack etc. This was a matter of frustration to younger family members, especially to younger inlaws.

Refer to Picture # 18