Charlotte McKnight

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On Oct. 14, the world lost an amazing woman. Charlotte Fougerat McCaskill McKnight was born on Dec. 4, 1927, to the late Ruby Lepori Fougerat and Charles Armand Fougerat in Gonzales, Texas. We always thought it was funny when she’d say she graduated from Gonzales High School twice. Due to the war, she decided she would just stay in school an extra year. Charlotte married Joe McCaskill, and while he attended college in Sherman, Texas, he taught her to drive by traveling home at night and setting her up to straddle the center line. That was a habit she had a hard time breaking. After settling back in Gonzales, they adopted John McCaskill as an infant. Joe was stationed in Japan where they welcomed the birth of Charles Roy McCaskill and Philip Ross McCaskill as Irish twins. She would always tell stories of her challenges of the journey on a ship back to the US with three little boys under the age of five. A number of years after tragically losing her husband, Charlotte married Winston C. McKnight in 1961. Exactly one year later she gave birth to her only daughter, Rose Marie, and seven years later gave birth to Winston C. McKnight Jr. Charlotte had to do what no parent should have to do and that was to bury three of her children, Charles, John, and Phil, as well as her husbands, Joe and Winkie.

Charlotte is survived by her brother, Armand Fougerat and sister, Kathleen Martin, and numerous nieces and nephews; Phil’s wife, Janis Connell McCaskill of Gonzales, grandsons, Joe McCaskill and dog Elly Mae of Conroe, Charles McCaskill (Suzanne) and great-grandchildren Corynne, Brennan, Brian, and Sean of Frisco; Rosie McKnight Jahnsen (Thomas), granddaughter Heather Squires (Russell) and great-granddaughter Everley of Victoria; Winston C. McKnight Jr. (Angie), and grandsons Cole and Brayden of Richmond. But there were many far and wide who may not have been family but still knew her as Nana.

Charlotte was a lifetime member of The Presbyterian Church of Gonzales and First Presbyterian Church of Victoria. She was known for her cooking, quilting, and her generosity, as well as her beautiful voice she shared in church and at many weddings and funerals. Nana loved watching Lawrence Welk reruns and Jeopardy. She loved to travel around the US, Canada, and England with the XYZs and with family.

A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held Saturday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Gonzales. Charlotte was a giving soul and the family would appreciate memorials in her honor to the Presbyterian Church in Gonzales or First Presbyterian Church in Victoria in lieu of flowers. Arrangements under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home, Gonzales.

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