This arrived in our email on August 18, 2008. Thanks, Bruce!
I grew up at 6127 Waterman and my dad, Ken Krippner, sent me a link to your site on which I've spent hours reading about the history of the community and current goings ons. In browsing the photos, I notice a picture of Betty Kleinfelter with a couple children from Grace Pre-School. I could be wrong, but I believe the girl on the right in the upper left corner of this page (http://centennial.citywestend.org/files/Download/Grace%20PreSchool%20Through%20the%20Years.pdf) is Agnes Martin. Not sure if the Martins are still living on McPherson or not but I was good friends with both her and her brother Claude throughout my childhood and have had contact with them both within the last few years. Agnes was living here in Chicago for many years and has since moved to Manhattan where she teaches in the public schools. I'll send her this link to verify though I'm not sure if I have her current email address. But thought I'd let you know, I'm fairly certain this is her. Thanks for your efforts! Bruce Krippner
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Paper and The Times Soon Online!
As part of the neighborhood Centennial The Times of Skinker DeBaliviere, formerly known as The Paper, is being scanned and made available to anyone on the Times' website. The 1970's and 80's have been completed and made into PDF's which will be available soon. We had anticipated that the whole job could be completed for approximately $7000, but we discovered that there were actually about 700 more pages than we estimated. We have to find a financial solution to the problem of scanning the 1990's and the first three years of the new millenium. Since 2003, The Times has been prepared and sent to the printer in PDF form, so no scanning of issues after that time will be required.
We are also trying to index the content of those issues so that users can find items of interest to them more easily. Because of the enormity of this task, we will probably limit this index to the titles of stories and their bylines, a brief description of the photos with their photo credits and captions, especially as they may show local residents, and ad listings.
Ideally, we could build a name index so that we could readily identify all stories and photos in which that name appeared, but that will take more workers than we currently have.
As soon as we have these issues available online, we would appreciate the help of volunteers who would like to take on some issues in order to build that index.
If you should be inclined to look back over the last nearly 40 years of life in this neighborhood, you will enjoy looking at the 1970's and 80's. I was surprised how much I had forgotten, and how much fun it was to be reminded.
When we find the money, we'll provide the 1990's and early 2000's. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please do not hesitate to contact Marj Weir or JoAnn Vatcha.
We are also trying to index the content of those issues so that users can find items of interest to them more easily. Because of the enormity of this task, we will probably limit this index to the titles of stories and their bylines, a brief description of the photos with their photo credits and captions, especially as they may show local residents, and ad listings.
Ideally, we could build a name index so that we could readily identify all stories and photos in which that name appeared, but that will take more workers than we currently have.
As soon as we have these issues available online, we would appreciate the help of volunteers who would like to take on some issues in order to build that index.
If you should be inclined to look back over the last nearly 40 years of life in this neighborhood, you will enjoy looking at the 1970's and 80's. I was surprised how much I had forgotten, and how much fun it was to be reminded.
When we find the money, we'll provide the 1990's and early 2000's. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please do not hesitate to contact Marj Weir or JoAnn Vatcha.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Photo Day
On Satuday, May 31, 2008, the Centennial History Committee, held a Photo Day in St. Roch's church basement. Despite the rain and the fact that we had no idea how many folks would come, we had a successful event and a lovely, and technically ideal, venue for it. Monsignor Polizzi was most supportive. A number of people who don't live in the neighborhood, or even the state, dropped in to say hello and reconnect. Cheri McKee, who now lives in Kirkwood, came and brought some pictures for scanning. Roy Roncal, who now lives in Rockford, Illinois, with his wife, Catherine Forslund, and happened to be visiting in St. Louis also spent some time with us. Another surprise was Sue Kropp, now of Arizona, who was visiting her son, Dan Hudspeth, and his family. Other folks, some of whom took time from the McPherson Block Party, dropped in to bring things, including Art Santen, Joan and Rick Bender, Pat McLafferty, Venita and Richard Lake, Lana Stein and her visiting friend, Michelle Hoyman, Shirley Polk, Lois Schoemehl, Arlene Webb, Pete Littlefield and his daughter, Susan, and King Schoenfeld, longtime Times photographer. JoAnn Vatcha managed the party and Marj Weir scanned the photos people wanted least to lose control over. Angie Dietz of the Missouri Historical Society displayed some of the photos we'd already scanned.
We got lots of stuff that people have trusted us to scan and return. Maybe we'll plan another Photo Day before we're through!
We got lots of stuff that people have trusted us to scan and return. Maybe we'll plan another Photo Day before we're through!
Friday, April 4, 2008
Email from Sue Tepas
Marj,
Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply, but I had to search thru old stuff in the back of my old file cabinet, and plow through other things to get to it. I NEVER throw anything away, but to my knowledge, I never had the originals for the “History”. Someone else typed it for publication, and I always thought the originals were at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council office – somewhere.
I did find some old (pre-1978, when we moved to Chicago) SDCC meeting minutes and some Rosedale Neighborhood Assn meeting minutes, but nothing else except a few more copies of the “History”.
I think it’s great that the “History” is being updated. I have NO idea where my original notes are – I probably left them in St. Louis, since they were only relevant there. Wow, that’s a LOT of years ago! 7 years in Chicago, then 22+ years in CT.
We probably wouldn’t recognize anyone any more – especially the kids who are now all grown up. Amazing!
Best of luck in your search. It might be easier to just put it on the computer today, rather than finding the old typed copies.
Our best to all of the old friends who are still around!
Sue
Don't forget to click www:the hungersite.com today
Sorry it’s taken me so long to reply, but I had to search thru old stuff in the back of my old file cabinet, and plow through other things to get to it. I NEVER throw anything away, but to my knowledge, I never had the originals for the “History”. Someone else typed it for publication, and I always thought the originals were at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council office – somewhere.
I did find some old (pre-1978, when we moved to Chicago) SDCC meeting minutes and some Rosedale Neighborhood Assn meeting minutes, but nothing else except a few more copies of the “History”.
I think it’s great that the “History” is being updated. I have NO idea where my original notes are – I probably left them in St. Louis, since they were only relevant there. Wow, that’s a LOT of years ago! 7 years in Chicago, then 22+ years in CT.
We probably wouldn’t recognize anyone any more – especially the kids who are now all grown up. Amazing!
Best of luck in your search. It might be easier to just put it on the computer today, rather than finding the old typed copies.
Our best to all of the old friends who are still around!
Sue
Don't forget to click www:the hungersite.com today
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Recollections from Rick and Joan Bender
[Editor’s note: Joan wrote a lengthy recollection for The Times of Skinker DeBaliviere for the December 1994 issue. This and other issues of the neighborhood newspaper will eventually be available online.]
The year 1968 was certainly a blessed one for us; we moved to Kingsbury Ave.! Our house was lovely and the neighbors were, and still are, great!
Back then there were many children on our street. Of 40 homes on 6100 Kingsbury, there were 140 children from cradle through high school. Five were ours – Andy Bert, Hugh, Beth and Rachel.
Even though real estate speculators were trying to change the neighborhood by “block busting,” the residents stood strong and stable. A “Residential Service” was formed and served the neighborhood for about a dozen years. St. Roch church and school has been an anchor here.
In 1969, the first “Mother’s Day Art Fair” was held on 6100 Kingsbury and a few years later neighborhood house tours were added.
The people on this street were and are a good example of the whole neighborhood – kind and caring about the needs of others…the Newshams, Crosses, Kohns, Hoerrs, Sheas, Stuarts, McCarthys, Marcuses, Hermes, Sappingtons, Lotteses, and Klinefelters to name a few.
For instance, Betty Klinefelter was like a foster mother/grandmother to children. Betty was an active member of Grace Methodist church and always ready with a helping hand. She was also a Girl Scout leader who began a Scout fund by having the girls earn money by serving meals at Grace church and other efforts. These funds were used to take the Girl Scouts on trips. Our two daughters benefited. Beth went to Italy and Rachel to Hawaii.
We “old timers” remember Pete Fossil and his vegetable/fruit truck rolling through the neighborhood –Easy Shopping! He was so popular and well-liked that Betty Newsham once held a surprise birthday party on the street for him.
The sense of working together might well be illustrated by the men of our neighborhood. Once there was a crash into the northern cement pillar gate on Kingsbury and Skinker. The men gathered together and repaired the pillar.
Fundraising for a cause is pretty common here. When there was a community concern about what would go on the empty lot on Kingsbury and DesPeres, next to the Community Council building, and energetic group got together and help “Bingo Games” at the old Salad Bowl [restaurant] on Lindell [near Vandeventer] on Sunday nights for several years. These fundraiders were Beth Bender, Arline Webb, Mike Holohan, Mark Gorman, Kim Koenig, to name a few. They succeeded and built the playground/park, now known as “Greg Freeman Park.”
The year 1968 was certainly a blessed one for us; we moved to Kingsbury Ave.! Our house was lovely and the neighbors were, and still are, great!
Back then there were many children on our street. Of 40 homes on 6100 Kingsbury, there were 140 children from cradle through high school. Five were ours – Andy Bert, Hugh, Beth and Rachel.
Even though real estate speculators were trying to change the neighborhood by “block busting,” the residents stood strong and stable. A “Residential Service” was formed and served the neighborhood for about a dozen years. St. Roch church and school has been an anchor here.
In 1969, the first “Mother’s Day Art Fair” was held on 6100 Kingsbury and a few years later neighborhood house tours were added.
The people on this street were and are a good example of the whole neighborhood – kind and caring about the needs of others…the Newshams, Crosses, Kohns, Hoerrs, Sheas, Stuarts, McCarthys, Marcuses, Hermes, Sappingtons, Lotteses, and Klinefelters to name a few.
For instance, Betty Klinefelter was like a foster mother/grandmother to children. Betty was an active member of Grace Methodist church and always ready with a helping hand. She was also a Girl Scout leader who began a Scout fund by having the girls earn money by serving meals at Grace church and other efforts. These funds were used to take the Girl Scouts on trips. Our two daughters benefited. Beth went to Italy and Rachel to Hawaii.
We “old timers” remember Pete Fossil and his vegetable/fruit truck rolling through the neighborhood –Easy Shopping! He was so popular and well-liked that Betty Newsham once held a surprise birthday party on the street for him.
The sense of working together might well be illustrated by the men of our neighborhood. Once there was a crash into the northern cement pillar gate on Kingsbury and Skinker. The men gathered together and repaired the pillar.
Fundraising for a cause is pretty common here. When there was a community concern about what would go on the empty lot on Kingsbury and DesPeres, next to the Community Council building, and energetic group got together and help “Bingo Games” at the old Salad Bowl [restaurant] on Lindell [near Vandeventer] on Sunday nights for several years. These fundraiders were Beth Bender, Arline Webb, Mike Holohan, Mark Gorman, Kim Koenig, to name a few. They succeeded and built the playground/park, now known as “Greg Freeman Park.”
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Response from Tom McPherron
I received an email yesterday from Tom McPherron. Tom, his wife Sharon, and their three children lived on both Westminster and Kingsbury for a long time. The still live nearby. Tom writes:
"I am not sure I have much to contribute that many others would not. The story I always tell about the neighborhood is how important I think it was to elect John [Roach] as alderman. If that would have not happened and if John had not been able to get Mercantile to start making loans, the government programs would have swamped us in my opinion. Joe [Mensing] and I went through it selling the house on McPherson [at Rosedale] through FHA and it simply was a nightmare. Sharon will always remember being asked why we needed so many bedrooms when we applied for the loan on the house on Kingsbury. So there were lots and lots of people who contributed, but I have always felt John and his election were critical to saving the neighborhood in a really perilous time.
Good luck with your project.
Tom"
"I am not sure I have much to contribute that many others would not. The story I always tell about the neighborhood is how important I think it was to elect John [Roach] as alderman. If that would have not happened and if John had not been able to get Mercantile to start making loans, the government programs would have swamped us in my opinion. Joe [Mensing] and I went through it selling the house on McPherson [at Rosedale] through FHA and it simply was a nightmare. Sharon will always remember being asked why we needed so many bedrooms when we applied for the loan on the house on Kingsbury. So there were lots and lots of people who contributed, but I have always felt John and his election were critical to saving the neighborhood in a really perilous time.
Good luck with your project.
Tom"
Friday, February 15, 2008
Looking for Rita Sweets
We are having trouble locating a mailing address for Rita Sweets. Can anyone help? Her address originally found in whitepages.com was a PO box. That letter came back "unable to forward."
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