"Alfred R. Hoemann closed the doors to his jewelry business, after 47 years, in the early 1990s. Most Kirkwood residents could tell you how to get to his shop on 123 W. Jefferson Avenue. He was Kirkwood Citizen of the year in 1980, and continued with watch and clock repair until his death in November 1997." Thanks to Kirkwood Historical Society (my OTHER KHS) for this great article.
Today P J's Tavern is located in the jewelry store space, where so many of us spent our time, money, and probably money of our loving parents. Hoemann provided our class rings, the "lavalier" charms that many of us wore on necklaces, the KHS gold pins with the chain attached to a 65, and maybe our Gold Ks. My class ring, lavalier and a gold disk to which I had the KHS 65 pin (after removing the backs) attached reside today on my gold charm bracelet. I still have the scarab watch I bought there too, but it wasn't like the one EVERYONE else had. I didn't want mine to be just like everyone else's, so I bought, from Hoemann's, another scarab bracelet, and another watch, had one scarab link removed and the watch, sans its band which I pitched, inserted to custom craft MY scarab watch. It still runs, I wear it with a smaller scarab bracelet given to me in the 1970s I think, and a pair of funky small scarab earrings I found much more recently. (I also still wear a watch given to me by my dad the Christmas of 8th grade.)
Then there's PJs, a favorite restaurant and pub in Kirkwood, frequented by many of us here in town. We've hosted several reunion activities there, and just last month Peggy Entenman Kramer and Pat Corpening Hoag and I had a gossip-fest over drinks and great food, and lo and behold we chatted with Steve Woodard as he was exiting. (Our table is always one near the front door, even in the cold winter!) We frequently run into someone we all three, or at least one of us, knows while dining at PJs. Funny to think of standing at the bar ordering a drink in about the same spot we stood at Al's counter ordering our jewels!
I'd LOVE to hear any stories some of you might know about the musical history of our favorite hometown jeweler!!! Jack?? Alan?? Other class musicians??
From Joy Tibbals Bortle comes this wonderful memory about Al Hoemann, Thank you Joy!
ReplyDeleteLeslie - just saw your posting on the KHS blog about Al Hoemann - Mr. Hoemann was our MC for many of the shows we performed through the Lucille Rapp Dance Studio. Courtney, Kingsley & Huntley were all tap dancers and I did many shows with them over the 12+ years I danced at Rapp's. Mrs. Rapp's daughter Susie now owns and operates the studio - she many have more photos and stories. Those were really fun times - we did many shows on Friday nights at the old Manchester Drive and Mr. Hoemann was always our MC - he wore a Brock-a-brella and told jokes - he had an accent similar to Lawrence Welk - some good memories from those days.