A lifelong educator, historian, and volunteer, Vicki Frenzel has spent decades helping preserve the stories, places, and traditions that make Gonzales unique. Born in San Marcos, Vicki grew up in Gonzales and graduated from Gonzales High School before attending Texas A&I University. After marrying her husband, Paul, the couple moved to Oklahoma, where Vicki taught school for nearly 20 years while raising their two children.
Following their retirement in 1994, they returned home to Gonzales, purchased a historic home, and began what would become a lifelong mission of historic preservation and community service.
In 1996, Vicki, Paul, and others formed the Historic Homes Association of Gonzales. As president, she led efforts to preserve and beautify the community while promoting its rich history through home tours and restoration projects.
Since 2005, she has served as president of the Gonzales Public Library Board, helping oversee the growth of the Robert Lee Brothers Jr. Memorial Library and the Mary Elizabeth Tinsley Texas History Center. She also volunteered countless hours helping organize and relocate Gonzales County archives, ensuring important historical records would remain preserved and accessible for future generations.
A passionate storyteller and educator, Vicki spent years bringing Texas history to life, performing in the drama Gonzales: The Beginning at Come & Take It celebrations, the Alamo, the Bob Bullock Museum, and other historic venues.
She organized youth history summer camps and later undertook an ambitious multi-year research project identifying many of the men believed to have fought in the 1835 Battle of Gonzales. Her research ultimately resulted in the publication of Hope, Heartbreak and Heroes, with the extensive materials now preserved in the Gonzales library archives.
Vicki has served on the Gonzales Zoning Board since 2004 and has notably devoted years of leadership to Gonzales’ living museum, Pioneer Village, helping expand educational programming, historical reenactments, school tours, and the beloved “Stars in the Village” Christmas event enjoyed by hundreds of families each year.
Her service has been recognized through numerous honors, including the Gonzales Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award for Historic Preservation and the David B. Walshak Lifetime Achievement Award. Yet for Vicki, the true reward has always been protecting the history and community she and Paul care about “a whole awful lot.”
As a token of our appreciation, GVEC is donating $5,000 to Pioneer Village in honor of Vicki Frenzel and her extraordinary dedication to preserving the history and spirit of Gonzales for future generations.
