The Harold Berghauer Family

[Ron Hill]

I first met the Berghauers at the 1964 Modesto Nationals. I wasn't sure I like the "OLD MAN" but thought their trailer was way cool. As I recall it was called the 4 D's Racing...For Deny, Dewey, Dee and Dad.

After the '64 Nationals until probably 1980, the Hills and the Berghauers we really close friends.

Again, as I recall, "HB" (Harold Berghauer) drove a light blue VW, diesel, Rabbitt!

[racnbns]

Mr. B---

When we ran THE CLASSIC which became 1100 hydro [so we could get APBA points] with the Stock group I really enjoyed talking with Mr. B. He was a wealth of knowledge when it came to Merc OTBD"S. One thing that sticks out in my mind was his magneto tester. He said he would bench test a bunch of mags and pick the best. I think he said he had a ocilliscope[sp.] to test output voltage. I really enjoyed picking his brain!

Bruce

[Ron Hill]

I have to admit, I DID know the Berghauers before 1964 Modesto, but I didn't know them well. I Boston, we had a Region 12 VS Region 7 Football game. I remember that Ruben Dawe had had too much Jim Beam, but he kept saying those Wisconsin guys are "BIG BUCKS".

Ted May was playing quarterback for Region 12, but we weren't doing well. Finally, we decided, that the next score won. Region 7 kicked off and we received, after three downs we were minus twenty yards from where we'd started.

In the huddle, everyone was talking. I said let me kick it. Joe Schulte said we can't give them the ball!!! I said, BULL ****, we are on our own 20 year line. So, I punted the ball about 60 yards, region 7 touched the ball, and Region 12 fell on it for touch down...Game over, Region 12 WON! Region 7 wasn't happy!

The next day we made Edgar Rose "MEASURE" Gretchen the "Hedlund's" girl friend. In those days women with GIANT TITS and a Bikini were few and far between.

[racnbns]

I have to admit, I DID know the Berghauers before 1964 Modesto, but I didn't know them well. I Boston, we had a Region 12 VS Region


7 Football game. I remember that Ruben Dawe had had too much Jim Beam, but he kept saying those Wisconsin guys are "BIG BUCKS".

Ted May was playing quarterback for Region 12, but we weren't doing well. Finally, we decided, that the next score won. Region 7 kicked off and we received, after three downs we were minus twenty yards from where we'd started.

In the huddle, everyone was talking. I said let me kick it. Joe Schulte said we can't give them the ball!!! I said, BULL ****, we are on our own 20 year line. So, I punted the ball about 60 yards, region 7 touched the ball, and Region 12 fell on it for touch down...Game over, Region 12 WON! Region 7 wasn't happy!

The next day we made Edgar Rose "MEASURE" Gretchen the "Hedlund's" girl friend. In those days women with GIANT TITS and a Bikini were few and far between.

Did Edgar have a special tool for SPECIAL measurements or did he just wing it with a BUST'O'METER?

Bruce

[Ron Hill]

After Region 12 won the football game between Region 7 and Region 12 (On my famous punt)...We all headed for a beer. Gretchen really wasn't Ron or Jerry Hedlund's girl friend, she was just a friend and Bikinis were new in those days. Anyway, Edgar got Gretchen on the scales to weigh. Edgar would puff on his cigarette, then pull some gauge out of his box and check her out. He decided she was "LEGAL"....clearly, I thought she was under weight.

The funnies thing about the Boston Nationals was that Joe Schulte brought his C Runabout and Mark 30-H stuffed in the baggage area of a TWA plane, where he was a Captain. Ernie Dawe, Ruben Dawe, and Ted May were stopped at a stop light, and Joe Schulte was standing there. He said, "Can you go get my boat at the airport?"

[Ron Hill]

My dad was the motor inspector at the 1964, 1966, 1973 and 1977 Nationals, all of which Harold Berghauer had motors inspected by my dad. By 1967, the Berghauer boys were racing for OMC and so was I. When Havasu '67 came up, Harold came to Havasu and brought "Wisconsin Brandy" for my dad. Harold and my dad managed to drink the brandy.

Some how, Harold thought my dad liked brandy. For the next quite a few years, Harold came to Parker and Havasu. My dad and Harold always drank brandy. Funny, as my dad NEVER drank brandy unless he was with Harold.

Bill Leutner and Harold met my dad in Nebraska one year to go hunting on my cousin's farm. My dad and Harold we really as close as brothers. They often spent all day talking motors, especially Mark 30-H's and Mark 55-H's.

[Ron Hill]

I don't know where this was taken, maybe Neosho.....But it is a Berghauer out front, in a Sid Craft!

[racnbns]

I don't know where this was taken, maybe Neosho.....But it is a Berghauer out front, in a Sid Craft!

Denny ran his Sid with a 3/4X3/4 strake on the bottom of the rt sponson. He was the only guy that could drive those boats. I had a short sponson Sid and it took me a bunch of races to learn how to turn it. I had to really crank it hard or I'd take a bath[again].

Bruce

[Chip Trampe]

I don't know where this was taken, maybe Neosho.....But it is a Berghauer out front, in a Sid Craft!

Ron-Your right, that is Neosho. Badger State Outboard Assn. held a race there last August for the first time in 30+ years. We were able to get quite a few "Alumni" racers gathered for the event including lots of Berghauers, Schaubs, Hedlunds, Mike Helm, Gary Stippich, Ron Thomas, Fred Hauenstein, Cooper Jess, Eddie Hrovatin, John Puestow Chuck Mapes and many more. We hope to be able to have a bigger get-together next year. Join us if you can.

Chip Trampe

[Ron Hill]

Ron Hill (https://www.facebook.com/ronaldhill?fref=ufi) Mike you probably never knew this but HB Berghauer and my dad were great friends. They hunted pheasants together on our relatives farm in Nebraska. Harold always brought Wisconsin brand for my dad at Havasu and Parker. Harold thought my dad ALWAYS drank Brandy.....But really, my dad ONLY drank brand when he was with Harold. When I won the Stock Nationals in D Runabout 1970. Harold came to me and said, "I know your dad does all your engine work, so you want me to help you tear your motor down?" I said, "Sure." About a half hour later I say, "Harold, did Edgar want to inspect the magneto?" Harold said, "No I was just snooping." About a half hour later I say, "Harold, does Edgar want to inspect my carburetor PARTS?" Harold says, No, I'm just snooping." Finally, Edgar is done with inspection, Harold say, "Can I have your gas?" I liked that OLD MAN and his three boys..... As Ted May called them "THE BERGHAUSERS, Huey, Dewy, Louis and Screwy." Ted loved them too!

[Ron Hill]

I ran across this old Parker program.

[Ron Hill]

Jill is the youngest Berghauer, and to be honest, I don't recall anything about her. In the OLD DAYS, racing was the only thing on my mind, at least at the races.

The Berghauer trailer, 20-J was a light blue deck and had been Bob Oakner's, I think. It had a round right side sponson, and Harold liked that boat from the start. The brothers were racing Sid's. At the 1967 Nationals, Dennis, Dewy and Dee ran 1,2,3 in C Hydro.

That September, when Dennis, Dewy, myself and maybe Buddy Tuppin, went to Albany on the Hudson River to "Pre Run" the marathon, Dennis and Dewy told me how to make my Sid Craft fast. I came home from New York, and worked the bottom like they told me and set it up, like they told me. We had a 50 mile marathon in Needles for Hydros, I won first overall and first in D Hydro, by almost five minutes.

I never race D Stock hydro after the 1967 season until I got a BeZoats in 1977. But the point is, those Berghauer knew how to get speed out of a Sid Craft.

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/images/icons/icon1.png 1967 Havasu: Berghauer Brothers Are Leading Overall
They were driving a cut down 21 Glastron with triple Evinrudes. They had a big lead, but someone did not calculate gas mileage and they ran out just before the two hour mark.

Dee Berghauer said, about the station wagon:
"1966 ford esquire wagon 390 cu. in. good looking but slow!"

[Chip Trampe]

Correction:
Jan is the eldest of the siblings and was married to the late great Vern Kargus and is the mother-in law of Big Don Allen.
There are other branches of the Berghauer family tree but would need a white board to be able to follow along.
If you see Dee at the APBA convention; perhaps he can fill you in. Also, he has reservation forms for the BSOA anniversary get together.

[John Schubert T*A*R*T]

Correction:
Jan is the eldest of the siblings and was married to the late great Vern Kargus and is the mother-in law of Big Don Allen.
There are other branches of the Berghauer family tree but would need a white board to be able to follow along.
If you see Dee at the APBA convention; perhaps he can fill you in. Also, he has reservation forms for the BSOA anniversary get together.
I keep asking for the reservation form & no one has sent it to me. Please do, jschubert19j@gmail.com

[Ron Hill]

Correction:
Jan is the eldest of the siblings and was married to the late great Vern Kargus and is the mother-in law of Big Don Allen.
There are other branches of the Berghauer family tree but would need a white board to be able to follow along.
If you see Dee at the APBA convention; perhaps he can fill you in. Also, he has reservation forms for the BSOA anniversary get together.

Thanks, for the correction, Chip.

Having a new puppy and no baby sitter, I'm not going to the APBA Convention.

[Ron Hill]

I just read on Facebook where Denis Berghauer had passed. RIP old friend.

[jon66w]

I just read on Facebook where Denis Berghauer had passed. RIP old friend.

So Sorry to hear this. I grew up with Denis and can tell so many adventures we had together both at the races and others. Orella blamed me for all of our pranks as Her Deny was an "Angel". My two favorites when we broke into Pious High School to steal his exam and we forgot to put the pins back in the door. The next morning the Mother Superior had the door almost fall on her. She yelled out find me that Berghauer boy as I know he did it! The other one was where we hot wired the train at Fond du lac park during the Winnebago Marathon. WE all piled in the train and were having a gay old-time with a few drivers and my pit crew and a few girls we picked up. Deny failed to realize the other door on the round house was closed and he drove right thru it making a large racket. We heard police sirens and swam back to the pits and pretended to be asleep in the large tent we ere all were in. Harold had to bail us out and paid for the damage. It was front page news in the local paper with the headline : "Denis Bando Berghauer and the great train Robbery". RIP friend and I'm sure God will have his Hands full. Jon 65 W in those days

[Ron Hill]

Why we decided to play football, I don't recall. We had about 20 on each side. Ruben Dawe, (Ernie and Jimmy's dad) was given the job to block the Berghauer boys. We played til almost dark, then decided each side would get four more plays or the first to score WON.

Region 12 got the ball and after three downs, we were basically on our own goal line. I convinced Ted May and Joe Schulte to let me punt on fourth down.

I kicked that mother the length of the football field, Region 7 fumbled, Region 12 recovered for a touch down.

That was really my first encounter with the Berghauers.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Those are some good stories.

[Ron Hill]

Sent: Thu, Jul 19, 2018 6:34 pm
Subject: Boston 1963

Send this to Ron Hill also please

Duey Won CSH and won the second heat of DSH (2nd overall, flipped the first heat)

They interviewed Duey for the only time ABC wide world of sports had live coverage of a boat race.
It rained and delays for flipped boats caused ABC not cover boat racing in the future.

I didn't see the Berhauer's until Modesto's Nationals 1964. They showed up with boats everywhere, big red trailer that said, "The 4 D Racing Team, Deny, Duey, Dee and dad."

Ted May called them the Berghousers, "Huey, Dewey, Louie and Screwie." Ted always got his words in to "Word Salad". He loved the Berghauers.