October 2009 | By Al Boenker III This is the story of Ollie Dora Boenker, my Grandmother. A German immigrant, whose family settled in the south central Texas town of William Penn, she was quite a character, and way ahead of her time. Back then, when Ollie Dora was a young girl considering her future, the local ranchers' sons were the only prospects for a husband. As a very determined, hard working, creative soul, Ollie Dora was unimpressed, and unwilling to settle with the prospects at hand. Now, understand that my great grandparent's ranch was adjacent to the Brazos River in south Texas. So the   ambitious, determined Ollie Dora started saving bottles, any size shape or color, until she thought she had enough for her plan to find a suitable husband. One day she sat down and wrote 100 letters, soliciting a husband in her most colorful, convincing language, rolled and tied each and every one, placed them in the bottles and loaded her wagon to haul down to the river. There, she carfully floated each bottle into the current, hopes of enticing a better suitor for her future.   [I like to call her the original "spammer"!] A few days past, and lo' and behold, my grandfather Al Boenker Senior came a-callin' [she got a 1% return - just like we expect for marketing return rates today!] He had found one of Ollie Dora's bottles on the banks of the Brazos, near his famil's ranch in Brenham,Texas. Well, now, as the story goes, my grandparents quickly fell in love and eloped. Ollie Dora's dad called the local Sheriff, who turned out to be Al's brother, so they were never found. Shortly thereafter, Al and Ollie Dora settled in Fort Worth. My grandparents were devout Christians and excellent business people. With a hard work ethic, a strong sense of humor, and selling skills beyond their time, they taught me everything I know about selling. I treasure the business knowledge they instilled in me. This boat is named in honor of Ollie Dora, my grandmother, whose "Message in a Bottle" started a true family tradition of success in business.