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.”

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"

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."

From JoAnn Vatcha

What a great idea! We'll be able to tap into all the fine minds and memories of our neighbors young and old. As we proceed through our centennial year, our celebration will be greatly impacted by our collection of thoughts on the blog. Working on our book and oral history project is such an exciting way to show others what makes our neighborhood great.
February 13, 2008 10:44 AM

Starting up!

A Skinker DeBaliviere Centennial committee has been formed and is making plans for a House Tour on May 11, 2008, an updated neighborhood history volume, an oral history project in partnership with the Missouri Historical Society, and a culmination celebration on October 11, 2008 at the Four Corners. Links to other websites that will provide information on these events are provided.
We urge you to contribute your ideas, ask questions, volunteer, and provide your opinions and reminiscences for inclusion in The Times of Skinker DeBaliviere and/or the history projects.
This should be a special year. Already at least two blocks have planned block parties.
We need your photos of the neighborhood, its people and events, too. We will be sure to return all such materials.