Dodge Brothers Club

Dear Dodge Brothers and Sisters,

 

One of the things I wanted to do before now was to make the trek out to Hershey, PA to view our display at the AACA museum. I have heard that it is being received very well. In fact, some of the other clubs that will be following us want to use some of the material that we have for their displays. Also, the truck that we just acquired can be shown in the museum after our time is up for the current display. AACA is changing their by-laws so the club can

show this vehicle at AACA shows with the owner being the Dodge Brothers Club.

 

I got a Christmas card from one of our members by the name of Paul Everett. Paul lived only a few miles from me, and he owns a 1938 four-door sedan. I asked Paul if he would be our registrar for the 2010 Gettysburg meet to which he agreed and did an exemplary job. He also helped me with showing around town like the house tour among other things. When he retired, he and his wife purchased a travel home and toured the country. His card said that he bought a home in Tucson, Arizona and that he came back to New Jersey and drove his 1938 to his new home. I called him and asked if he would relay some of the experiences, he had with the people he met for the DBCN. The next day I got an email about another subject; see his letter elsewhere in the news. He also drove his car in my daughter’s wedding (see picture).

 

On a sad note, a long-time and devoted club member, Herb Wessel, passed away on January 22, 2019. Chris and I met the Wessels back in the nineteen hundreds, probably at the Macungie show, and also at our meets or reunions. At one of these meets he said that we should have a meet in Gettysburg, but he was NOT going to chair it. I looked around and I was the only one standing there. So, I said that I could do it. I made a proposal and presented it to the Board which they approved, and this was a four-year process. Herb knew a lot of people in that area, a lot of private collectors, and someone who had the program for the routes which was great because I lived three hours away. Herb said that we were going to have an ice cream social on Sunday night, but the Dodge Brothers Club was not going to do it. We would get the Gettysburg Region of the AACA to buy the ice cream and serve it. We agreed on a price and it worked out fine. We have been doing the ice cream social ever since thanks to Herb. If you ever had the opportunity to go to a restaurant with Herb and Mary, Herb would always ask the waitress if they had butter because he never had margarine. He was a dairy farmer and he loved to have ice cream or a milkshake and butter. While planning our meet, Chris and I stayed at the Wessel’s home several times. If it was over a Sunday, we all went to church. Herb was a devoted husband, father, and club member (all of them) and faithful to his God. Herb also drove to New Jersey so his 1938 could be in our daughter’s wedding. Herb was a tough man; he had to be being a farmer dealing with the weather, dealing with livestock (you never have a day off) and with people to get what was needed; but he was never disrespectful to them. When they make that

pictionary (you know the one that has a word and then a picture for the word) by the word “gentleman” there will be Herb Wessel’s picture. He will be missed.

 

Earl