MINI REUNION PLANS UNDERWAY for SEPTEMBER, 2016

SAVE THE DATE!!  This just in today, on her birthday, from Karen Lowe Adams:  "We are having a mini class reunion weekend of Greentree Festival, Sept. 16-17. Friday night will be a Greentree opening night music festival in the park and Sat. night will be at 612 Kitchen and Cocktails (the Loop)."  More news will be shared as the plans unfold.  Happy Birthday Karen and Sharon!

Wehrenberg Theatre Owner died, remember Ronnie's?

Just a little snippet of Kirkwood area nostalgia.  I just discovered an October, 2015 article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Ronald P. Krueger died 10/21/15 at age 75 of congestive heart failure.  He was the third-generation president and CEO of Wehrenberg Theatres.  He was a generous man, dedicated supporter of the Salvation Army and active in other area charitable efforts.  He was a Westminster College grad, a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Past Potentate of Moolah Shrine Temple.  He was born in St. Louis, his mother's maiden name was Wehrenberg, and Ronnie's Drive-In was named for him when it opened in 1948; he worked there from boyhood, leading pony rides or taking his place as a car-hop.  The Drive-In was torn down in the 1980s and a six-plex and shopping center were built on the property.  It's called Ronnie's Plaza so the memory of that hallmark of our era is still alive.  He was married to his wife Midge Deppe Krueger for 38 years and they had two daughters and a son.  I tried to access the article about him in the Post, but true to their normal lousy form, it's not available.  Should anyone be interested, I have the full article.

Poetry in our midst

In trying to spend a little time once in awhile to clean out my office, files, and stacks of stuff, I ran across a piece of paper that was given to me at our 50th Anniversary Reunion. I have NO memory of who gave it to me.  But I'm sure someone in our class wrote it and I hope someone will come forward to tell me who penned this tribute to our classmates.

KHS65
Fifty Years Ago

It's been a long time since we've visited with our oldest friends
And how the memories start to flow...
You probably notice the old Osage Show, well they finally closed it down,
But you could find us there most weekend nights, fifty years ago.

We can still hear the school bells and the kids in the hall
Look around tonight we see "us" as we were back then.
Even the smells of our school can be recalled...
But we can only visit for a precious little while, because life goes on...
and again, reality calls.

And then let's not forget our friends who have already gone and can't be here,
And how their lives touched ours and how they are woven into the fabric of our great class.
But now, because of our collective memory of them all,
They'll always be here with us...
Because in our hearts they will forever last.

KHS65 in TEXAS - Great visit!

What a great, if short, visit I had last week to Dallas.  I was there to make my official visit as President General of the National Society Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century, which was a fun time.  Lots of great food, great hostess, meeting several ladies whom I had never met and a visit to Pres. G W Bush Library in Dallas.  After that part of my trip was over I headed to Rockfish Restaurant for a great seafood lunch but even better, a great visit, read that gabfest, with Karen Schurig Bass and Pam Dalton Sneath.  Pam and I hadn't seen one another since KHS so it was a fun treat to get caught up with her.  We had a nice glass of wine, watered down with a good meal & Diet Coke so no problem driving afterwards!  I am not sure how any of us finished our lunch for all the talking.  We met at noon and I'm pretty sure it was 2:30 or later when I followed Karen to her beautiful home in Arlington.  It's been several years since my last visit to Dallas, and I must say the growth is amazing.  New larger buildings, wider highways, MORE highways, it was a shock to me to realize just how much the area has expanded!  Karen and wonderful hubby Jim hosted me at their home where, after we had an interesting and delicious dinner at The Rustic, we crashed and I slept like that proverbial log.  Joining us for dinner were Dean Swisher, Kerry Moskop, Kathy & Bill Lang, John and Daline Buhl and Roy Lamkin.  All except Roy were at our Reunion so we of course discussed that and everyone agreed it was a great time.  Roy reports Bev, who wasn't feeling well that night & couldn't join us, runs marathons, and runs 41 miles 3 times per week, Mon Weds and Friday.  That girl has a LOT of energy.  Roy is on one of the Boards at Baylor Medical School and of course was with Texas Instrument for many years there in the Dallas area.  Bill Lang has had some replacement type medical issues, he called himself a bionic man!  Kathy doesn't look a day over 20 and certainly not like she had 4 children in 5 1/2 years!  Check out Kathy's Choice, her wonderful catering business/tea room/ event planning venture at www.kathyschoice.com.  I'll be back in Texas in May and I'm hoping we can have an event there, she came up with the idea and I'm all for it!  Can't wait to be back with this great group!  Thanks everyone for joining our little soiree, the food at The Rustic was great!  And special thanks to Karen for arranging these activities for my visit...she's a special friend and a special Texan!  

I was able to see the SMU Campus for the first time when I visited the Bush Library.  Now I see why so many Kirkwoodians go there for college...and in today's world, there is a lot of growth and new construction along with refurbishing of the older buildings.

 Check my Facebook page for more of my Texas adventures...Cattle Drive and Oval Office come to mind!

FRENCH TEACHER MRS. DENIGAN PASSES AWAY

 While Mrs. Denigan was not my French teacher, I know for many of you she was a well-loved teacher.  May she rest in peace and love.  Obituary courtesy St. Louis Post Dispatch.

 Mary Margaret Denigan

Denigan, Mary Margaret Died peacefully on February 9, 2016. Daughter of the late Joseph E. and Margaret M. Touhill, she is survived by her two sons, James B. Denigan, Jr. (Sue), and Joseph E. Denigan (Janice). Grandmother to Jennifer Goltermann (Joseph) and Lauren Madras (Andrew) and great-grandmother to Olivia and Katherine Goltermann, brother to Joseph M. Touhill (Blanche). Mary Margaret was an accomplished artist, seamstress and French history student. She graduated from Saint Louis University with a B.A. in English in 1951 and a M.A. in English in 1953. She retired from teaching after 34 years from Kirkwood High School in 1989. She had been a fierce advocate for those in need and undertook service unknown to most. Always the teacher, she had high standards for herself and others, but guarded those unable to serve. She cherished her equally capable granddaughters. Services: Services private. Memorial Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes, 7148 Forsyth Boulevard, University City, Missouri, on Monday, February 15, at 11:00 a.m. Friends will be received at 10:00 a.m. If desired, in lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Louis Public Library Foundation, 1415 Olive Street, St. Louis, Missouri, 63103.

Published in St. Louis Post-Dispatch from Feb. 13 to Feb. 14, 2016