Pauline Marie Zurbuchen McDougall

Mary pharmacist’s Mate third class, us navy, Pauline marie zurbuchen mcdougall

  

Born: December 5, 1923, Dodge City, Kansas
Died: March 4, 1996, Tijeras, New Mexico

Female Veteran | WAVES | World War II
McDougall, Pauline

Burial Site:   SFNC, Section 9, Site 13

PHM 3rd Class Pauline Zurbuchen McDougall joined the US Navy as one of the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) in October of 1944.1 She received seven week’s training, first an indoctrination course, then the Corpman’s Course.2 PHM McDougall wanted to do hospital work and nursing training so she climbed the ratings from Apprentice Seaman to Hospital Apprentice before she became a Pharmacist’s Mate.3 This was the rating given to every WAVE who worked for the Naval Bureau of Medicine and Surgery.4 Some worked in an actual pharmacy, but many worked as X-ray technicians, physical therapists, dental and optician’s assistants, physician’s assistants, or general hospital corps.5 It’s not certain where she served, but she was honorably discharged from the Naval Hospital in Oceanside, California on December 1, 1945, so it is possible she served there.6

Pauline Marie was born to Karl and Bessie Zurbuchen in Dodge City, Kansas on December 5, 1923.7 She was the second of three daughters.8 Her father worked for the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railroad and when he was transferred, the family moved to New Mexico.9 Zurbuchen McDougall met young George McDougall because their fathers both worked for the Santa Fe Railroad.10 They were married in 1941 just after Zurbuchen McDougall graduated from Albuquerque High School.11

In October of that same year, her husband joined the Army, serving until December 1945 when he was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant.12 The couple set up home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, welcoming a daughter in 1947.13 Zurbuchen McDougall was in business school, possibly using her benefits as a Naval Veteran, graduating in 1951.14,15 Using her business degree, she became a secretary for Albuquerque Public Schools, serving there for more than twenty years before retiring from Jackson Middle School in the mid-1980s.16

In 1961, the couple adopted a seven-year-old Korean-American girl and provided her with American Citizenship.17 Two more children were on the horizon for the McDougalls when her husband’s twin brother died in 1968, leaving two young children behind, they were not only welcomed into the McDougall home but officially adopted.18

Zurbuchen McDougall was active in her church, she and her husband were founding members of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Albuquerque.19 Despite retiring from Jackson Middle School, she worked as a secretary for the State Fair where she also won awards for her quilts, but had to leave as that interfered with the family summers in their Idaho cabin.20 Not long after leaving the State Fair, Zurbuchen McDougall and her husband took their grandson into their home so he could be closer to work and school.21

It was a fateful decision. He didn’t have a car, and often needed to be picked up from work. In the early hours of Sunday morning, March 4, 1996, they went to pick up their grandson from work and interrupted a robbery. Their grandson and his two co-workers were shot and killed and the McDougalls were kidnapped. Tragically, Pauline and George McDougall were taken just outside the city and killed later that same morning.22 There were convictions for the crime in January of 1998.23

 

Images & Documents

Pauline and George McDougall

“Pauline and George McDougall.” Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/965240/pauline-m-mcdougall: accessed 15 August 2023), memorial page for Pauline M. Zurbuchen McDougall (5 Dec 1923–4 Mar 1996), Find a Grave Memorial ID 965240, citing Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA; Maintained by P Barela (contributor 46573401).

McDougall, Pauline

“Pauline McDougall.” Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 4 March 1996. Retrieved: 15 August 2023. https://www.newspapers.com/image/785211067 p. 1.

McDougall, Pauline gravestone

“Pauline Marie Zurbuchen McDougall gravestone.” Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/965240/pauline-m-mcdougall: accessed 15 August 2023), memorial page for Pauline M. Zurbuchen McDougall (5 Dec 1923–4 Mar 1996), Find a Grave Memorial ID 965240, citing Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA; Maintained by P Barela (contributor 46573401).

Memorial at Hollywood Video Site

McDougall, Pauline P4

“Memorial at Hollywood Video Site.” Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/965240/pauline-m-mcdougall: accessed 15 August 2023), memorial page for Pauline M. Zurbuchen McDougall (5 Dec 1923–4 Mar 1996), Find a Grave Memorial ID 965240, citing Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA; Maintained by P Barela (contributor 46573401).

Notes:

  1. “Waves Recruiters Enlist Belen Girls.” Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 15 October 1944. p. 9.

2 & 3. “Notice of Separation: McDougall, Pauline Z.” New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Subsubseries: Military Discharges; Box Number: 16607; Box Title: Military Discharges Lupton-McGinnis.

4 & 5. “Specialty Training.” Homefront Heroines: The WAVES of World War II. Copyright 2023. Retrieved: 14 July 2023. ‘Pharmacist’s Mate’ paragraph.

  1. “Pauline Z. McDougall.” Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
  2. “Zurbuchen.” Year: 1930; Census Place: Dodge, Ford, Kansas; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0005; FHL microfilm: 2340437.
  3. “Zurbuchen.” Year: 1940; Census Place: Los Griegos, Bernalillo, New Mexico; Roll: m-t0627-02438; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 1-11A
  4. “Zurbuchen, Karl.” Albuquerque, New Mexico, City Directory, 1938.
  5. Crowder, Carla. “Pair Took Care of Everybody.” Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 6 March 1996. sec C p. 2.
  6. “Mr. McDougall will be Wed to Belen Girl.” Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 14 June 1941. p. 2.
  7. “Notice of Separation: McDougall, George P.” New Mexico Commission of Public Records, State Records Center and Archives; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Subsubseries: Military Discharges; Box Number: 16607; Box Title: Military Discharges Lupton-McGinnis.

13 & 14. “McDougall.” National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Belen, Valencia, New Mexico; Roll: 2570; Page: 7; Enumeration District: 32-11.

  1. “Commercial School Awards 18 Diplomas.” Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 24 January 1951. p .6.
  2. Soto, Monica. “Slain Grandparents Complimented Each Other.” Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 5 March 1996. p. 3.
  3. “Kimberly Ingrid McDougall.” National Archives at Denver; Broomfield, CO; ARC Title: Naturalization Records, New Mexico, 1882-1983; NAI Number: 4102816; Record Group Title: New Mexico, Bernalillo County, Naturalization Records; Record Group Number: Rg 21.

18 & 19. Soto, Monica. “Slain Grandparents Complimented Each Other.” Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 5 March 1996. p. 3.

20 & 21. Crowder, Carla. “Pair Took Care of Everybody.” Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 6 March 1996. sec C p. 2.

  1. Crowder, Carla & Frank Zoretich. “Elderly Pair Shot to Death.” Albuquerque Journal. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 5 March 1996. p. 1-2
  2. Brown, Doug. “Hollywood Video Trial: The Web They Wove.” Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 13 January 1998. sec. C p 1.

Compiled by: A. D. McLean, MA, MLIS. Central New Mexico Community College, retired 2022.

 

Featured Image:

“Pauline McDougall.” Albuquerque Tribune. Albuquerque, New Mexico. 4 March 1996. Retrieved: 15 August 2023. https://www.newspapers.com/image/785211067 p. 1.