HOTEL JEFFERSON IN THE NEWS AGAIN

I realize not everyone attended our Senior Party after graduation, but I did and remember it well.  The Hotel Jefferson has a checkered history and has been shuttered for ages; every time there is a new proposal to reopen it, I begin dreaming of a class reunion there just for nostalgia's sake!  In recent years there have been several plans put forth to refurbish/reopen/reuse it but none has come to fruition.  Here is an article about the current status.  This article says it was published 12/21/17 but I am looking at the 12/22 paper and the lead article in the Business Section has this article and the photo.  A Marriott would be great, but as the lead article on 12/22 points out, there are already a LOT of hotel rooms in St. Louis, and if all 9 current proposals came to be, there would be 1200+ additional hotel rooms downtown, and can we really support that?  Many people, including me, think not.  We just don't have the draw we once did...anyway, I thought some of you might find this of interest if you follow any of our local "issues".

http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/jefferson-arms-developer-looks-abroad-for-cash/article_dc3bc718-60ac-5a67-a4f2-e6538f8424a2.html

ALAN YOUNT'S MEMORIES JOG THOSE OF BRUCE ANTLE - MUSICAL MEMORIES GALORE!

I recently received a wonderful message from Bruce which he has given me permission to share.  I am always so gratified when the memories or information from one classmate prompts contact from another!  And it's especially pleasing to know some of our classmates actually read what I write!  Thank you all for that!  Here goes Bruce's article:

"It is amazing to me the names of the people I either didn't know or can no longer remember, yet still sound vaguely familiar.  Anyway, just wanted to say thanks for what you do on your blog.  I do check it out every couple of months.  Like this morning, for some reason I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and said, oh, what the heck.  I have been working on our own family genealogy and as I sat down at the desk with my laptop for some reason thought I would check your blog to see if there was any new news regarding classmates.  Sorry to hear about Jim Olson.  I do not remember Jim, at least I don't think so.  I could tell you had become good friends.

Your posting of the JerryJazzMusician [Alan Yount's poetry has been published there twice lately, see earlier posts here] brought back my own horn playing memories.  At Keysor and North I played Alto Sax.  Lew Williamson was 1st chair in band at North, I was 2nd chair.  My music teacher at Mel Bay's encouraged me to enter into a music contest called the "Five Penney Music Contest" named after the movie of the same name starring Danny Kay who played trumpet in the movie.  I played NOLA and for my age group and instrument won first place which was my one and only musical claim to fame. For first prize I think I got a $15 gift certificate from Mel Bay's Music Store and a "Five Penney" record album.   Mel Bay's son, Bill Bay, asked me to join his band, to which my parents said no.  Doc Williamson was our family's dentist and prior to my musical accolade I thought I wanted to be a dentist because he was always complimentary after a visit.  My parents thought keeping me on a track of dentistry was a better option than musician. The music teacher at North asked me to join the orchestra as the only saxophone player, which I did, although he asked me to insert a mute to soften the tone. I was also asked to perform on stage at the high school during some kind of talent show.  Bobbie Jo Leech accompanied me on the piano.  I wonder what happened to Bobbie Jo? [she was living in Florida as is Bruce currently.  I'm not sure if she's still there.]  I believe she also played trumpet in band at North.  I got so nervous on stage, somewhere in the middle of NOLA I forgot where I was, as I had memorized it, and Bobbie Jo somehow  picked up on my memory loss, and either caught up with me or filled in the blanks, she was just great and a real life saver.  Either way it was my last semi-professional performance.  

Looking back, I wish I would have continued playing the sax in high school.  I would have enjoyed playing in the marching band at halftime.  It would have been a better option for me then football.  I did try out for football in 9th grade.  I thought I was a pretty good quarterback, at least in our neighborhood.  For J.V. made third string but at 5'8" and around 100 lbs. was no match for the bigger guys.  Jim Ballard wanted to learn out to play the sax and I gave him some instruction sheets and tips. He picked it up immediately and really became a great saxophone player and I believe part of the KHS marching band.

Just last week I asked my daughter who has five children (two who are in college, two in high school and one in middle school) if any would be interested in my sax, which I hadn't played in many years?  She replied, no, but wanted to hear me play as they are coming for a visit to warm, sunny Florida over the Christmas break.  I pulled it out of its case, not knowing if it would even play, if all the pads were hard and needed replacing?  Surprisingly it did play.  Not surprisingly, it was very hard, not the pads, me.  After several days I might be able to play Silent Night, but NOLA, not a chance."

A bit later I received another fun message from Bruce:  

"Alan Yount's memory of his great grandparents' house stirred up some additional ones of my own.  

The House on Woodlawn

My mom was always proud of being a KHS girl.  Of course, in her days Kirkwood High was as we know Nipher.  She moved to Kirkwood from the city in 1925 at the age of 12.  Her father, Percy Wall or P.H. which was for Percival Herbert built the house or at least his company, Wall Construction, built the house.  It was red brick with black mortar, a special request by her mom, Sadie. The house was located on the "other side" of the Ferguson-Kirkwood streetcar tracks, just down the hill and on the same side as the stately residences that lined the street north of Adams (Lockwood)​. It was across the street from the Kirkwood.Country Club (later renamed the Woodlawn Country Club.)  When golfers would tee off from the #3 tee, balls would often land in their yard. Today streets with the name of Par and Bogey are a little reminder of the past. The street [Woodlawn Avenue] from their house up to Manchester had not yet been paved and in the winter they would help to oil it.  Heavy rains or wet snows would cause cars to get stuck and for a modest fee there were always a few neighbors still with horses and wagons to help in their distress. My grandfather lived in the house for almost 40 years.  When it was sold the new owners painted the brick white and built on top of it.  They couldn't believe how thick the foundation was.  Wall Construction was a commercial builder.  They built schools, factories and breweries.  Very little evidence remains of the street car tracks next to the house.  As boys my brother and I used to collect a few spikes from the area.  Last summer I got out of the car just to prove to myself of its existence, and although most of the area has long since been turned into roadways, houses and lawns, I could still see and walk next to the ditch where the bed of the track use to be.  The one picture we have of the house was taken during the winter. The second is as it currently looks."

I love these stories of our childhood and especially those also about Kirkwood.  If YOU want to send some memories, please do and I'll post them.  And thanks to Alan Yount for his sharing of his memories which inspired Bruce to be in touch too! 

 

William Lee Hedrick leaves us too early

Jim Day was kind enough to contact me to let us know that Bill Hedrick died on December 10, 2017.  Here is an obituary that Jim wrote up for us in the absence of a published one that I could find.
Thanks go to Jim for being so kind to keep us posted on classmate activity.  Bill and Rusty Nelson were good pals, so I wonder if it was Rusty with whom Bill joined in the buddy system.  Thank you again Jim!

"William (BILL) Hedrick lived in Rosebud, MO. Graduating from Kirkwood High School he joined the Navy with the Buddy System, serving our country in the U.S. NAVY.  He served in VIET NAM from 1965-69 receiving medals for his service during his time there. Bill was involved in the recovery of APOLLO 10 & APOLLO 11.  He earned a degree in design engineering and, working for MONSANTO, Bill designed and developed machines to assist in the paint industries.  He eventually left MONSANTO to work within his family business and upon his retirement Bill was able to continue his avid love for golf, and his enjoyment as a master mechanic." 

 

CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH A PICKLE

In October I was at Bopp Chapel attending visitation and the memorial service for the mother of a friend of mine.  She had been a music teacher here in St. Louis and my friend an alum of Ladue High.  I wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew other than my friend's Aunt whom I have known for some time through a mutual friend and my business.  So, I'm sitting in one of the pews in front of the lady whom I know and as I turned around and chatted with her the two ladies sitting next to her joined the conversation.  Somehow or other growing up in Kirkwood came up, imagine that, one of the ladies said something about the "Pickel Girls".  Despite the fact that sometimes I think I am getting senile, something triggered in my brain.  I looked at the darling lady who had said she'd been a teacher in Kirkwood for awhile many years ago, and I asked where and she said Nipher, I said when?... she began to calculate and I said,"wait, Nipher - Art - Miss Pickel" and then even her first name fell out of my mouth!  Charlotte Pickel, art teacher during our years at Nipher!  Well  ~ of course we had a great time discussing teachers, the fact that I did NOT have her as a teacher, which is a good thing, she would have remembered me if she had taught me for my totally unartistic self!  And we reminisced about Mr. Beltz, Dr. Wagner, other art teachers, etc.  She left Kirkwood, married, spent 11 years in Omaha teaching and along the way, not sure of the time frame as I didn't make good notes, she taught at Ladue, Webster and Parkway West Jr.  She and her sister are both retired, and enjoying life.  She is chipper, adorably cute and perky, smiles a lot!  Just an older version of the way I remember her as a short, perky teacher!  
One just never knows who she'll run into at Bopp Chapel...and what memories will be triggered...a great thing about blooming where you're planted as Mary Engelbreit admonishes...