Daughters of the Republic of Texas to host Gonzales Memorial

A memorial service which has historically honored the Old 18, Immortal 32 and other colonists affected by the Runaway Scrape will be held by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in Texas Heroes Square at 10 a.m. Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.

While COVID-19 mandates have necessitated the cancellation of several local events, including Come and Take It, there is still an opportunity to focus on the history of the celebration.

The memorial is part of Gonzales Day celebrations, and is one of the DRT’s Honor Days which celebrate important people and moments of the Texas Revolution.

A verbal presentation will be given by Vicki Frenzel, who will help listeners to visualize what Gonzales looked like and imagine what the colonists may have been doing in preparation for the historic accounts of the days and months to come.

This year is the 185^th anniversary of the Battle of Gonzales, the 129^th anniversary of the organization of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas and the 117^th year since the Gonzales Chapter of the DRT was organized. The Old 18, a group of men who originally defended the Gonzales cannon from being taken by Mexican forces, and the Immortal 32 are those from Gonzales who fought and died in the Battle of the Alamo.

The Daughters perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved and maintained the independence of Texas and encourage historical research into the earliest records of Texas, especially those relating to the Revolution of 1835 and the events which followed. They foster the preservation of documents and relics and encourage the publication of records of individual service of the soldiers and patriots of the Republic and other source material for the history of Texas.

Gonzales Chapter DRT invites everyone to celebrate 60 years of Memorial Services and the years of celebrations honoring the valor of the colonists and the bravery of the Old 18 and the Immortal 32.  For more information call Betty Fink at 830-857-4912 or Sandra Mauldin at 830-263-1488.

The memorial Service will follow all current COVID-19 restrictions– members will be spaced six feet apart and/or must wear face masks. Hand sanitizer will be available for all.