Monday, December 29, 2014

A Tardy Pardon and Other Buried Treasures



By Kyle Schrader

As he picks up flowers spilled by April showers, Kenneth “Ken” Cox points to a grave etched as being shared by Benjamin, George, and Dennis Lackland and explains, “When there was a flu epidemic, it was not unusual to have two children buried together, or a mother and child.”
 Cox, chairman of trustees of the Fee Fee Cemetery Association, is perusing the grounds, located on Old Saint Charles Road in Bridgeton. He notes the poor readability of the Lacklands’ grave marker: “It’s worn limestone. Limestone just doesn’t stand up to the weather.” Lastly, he points out that the monument, like many others there, is an obelisk (think Washington Monument).
A man with appreciation for the details and history of Fee Fee Cemetery, Cox has held his position as chairman for approximately a decade. Before that, he “joined the church in 1986 and got on the board of trustees, gosh, probably 20 years ago, give or take.”
Cox verifies the historical significance, stating, “It is the first and oldest active cemetery west of the Mississippi.” That distinction “used to belong to one down around Ste. Genevieve, but they closed it and the church around 100 years ago.” He continues, “You’ve got old cemeteries out in the woods somewhere, but we don’t know that.”
Besides the Lackland family name, one scanning headstones might also see the locally recognizable Adie, Hickman, Hanley, Averill, and Branneky surnames, just to name a few. Regarding family plots, Cox asserts, “People bought lots back on the 1930s and are just now using the rest of them.”
But perhaps the most interesting resident in the cemetery is Confederate soldier James Morgan Utz, who died in 1864. “He was caught as a spy here in St. Louis,” Cox relates. “He didn’t claim innocence, but somehow somebody got ahold of Lincoln for a pardon. He was hung the day after Christmas in downtown St. Louis, wherever the Union headquarters was, because the pardon was not in time.”
 
The original Fee Fee Baptist Church, the oldest Baptist church west of the Mississippi, was organized in 1807, and the original church structure was built when land was deeded for a church and cemetery in 1815. That small wooden structure (the exact whereabouts of which remain unknown and the subject of rumor and speculation) was replaced in 1828-1829 by the brick Old Fee Fee Meeting House, which still stands today and is the oldest house of worship in St. Louis County. In 1870, a new church building was erected at Fee Fee and St. Charles Rock Road (then replaced by another church, the current one, built at the same location in 1975), and the Meeting House was converted into a cemetery office and caretaker home. It remains so to this day, with caretakers Pat and Brenda Moutray residing there with son Chris.
Just behind the Meeting House is the “Preachers’ Area,” where only past preachers of the church are buried. And as one drives up to the Meeting House, to the right is “Cremation Garden,” where the ashes of the deceased are laid to rest. There is also a gate still standing in the middle of the yard, a gate to nowhere, as it were, that was put up in 1914. “It’s too narrow now,” Cox clarifies. “A car or truck would tear it up,” as it was made for buggies. He indicates a particularly large slab of a headstone, weighing several tons, and marvels at how it must have been brought in via horse and buggy.
Referring to some of the older burials in the cemetery, Cox attests, “We do have some Revolutionary War burials in here, but they were moved from other unknown cemeteries.” He adds that he has “no idea” about the number of graves, because “there are a lot of unmarked graves.” He can, however, often tell if the ground has been disturbed. “If the ground’s real dry, sometimes I can tell whether it’s been disturbed or not.”
In addition to pointing out the popularity of obelisks on the property, Cox comments that there are a number of headstones with Masonic symbols, indicating the numerous Freemasons. And finally, he shares a story about why Civil War-era Union headstones tend to be flat or curved at the top, while their Confederate counterparts are often pointed like a rooftop: “So no damn Yankee can sit on them,” or so the saying goes.
Occasionally, Pattonville High School brings its history students to the cemetery for field trips.  In 1957, Ruth E. Abraham wrote As a Tree Planted, about the history of Fee Fee Cemetery, and as the rebuilding of Fee Free Road afforded more space to be used for future burials, there is undoubtedly more history left to be written.
 

Friday, November 21, 2014

The Bear Wrestling, Pulitzer Prize Winning, Ex-Marine from Ritenour

1964 Ritenour graduate, Mike Keefe
The list of accomplished people who graduated from Ritenour High School is very impressive, but the name Mike Keefe, Class of 1964, really sparked my attention when I recently read through a list of notable alumni on the School District’s Web Site. Could this be the same Mike Keefe whose work I’ve always admired on Cagle.com? The same Mike Keefe that won a Pulitzer Prize for his editorial cartoons, while working at The Denver Post? I double-checked and yes, as it turns out, he’s the same guy.

"Mike Keefe was the editorial cartoonist for The Denver Post from 1975 through late 2011. His work continues in syndication. Throughout the nineties he was a weekly contributor to USA Today and a regular on America Online. Nationally syndicated, his cartoons have appeared in Europe, Asia and in most major U.S. news magazines and hundreds of newspapers across the country. 
Keefe’s animations have appeared on broadcast TV, the internet and CD-ROM magazines.

He has won top honors in the Fischetti, National Headliners Club, Society of Professional Journalists and Best of the West contests. He was a John S. Knight Fellow at Stanford University and is a past president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. He was a juror for the 1997 and 1998 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism. He won the Pulitzer himself in 2011.” *


 

 
A very impressive resume to say the least, but Mike didn't spend his youth in a privileged environment and his career path was never guided by affluent parents with high-level business connections. In fact, he had to work very hard to overcome tragic family circumstances and create opportunities for himself. His talent and insight were shaped by overcoming hardship and putting his sense of adventure to practice. His incredible self-reliance is briefly explained in two excerpts from a profile written about Mike, by Charles McNamara:

"His brother died at age two and a half, devastating his mom and forcing his father, Ray Keefe, to find ways to care for her while earning a living. Running out of resources, he took the family back to California to be closer to other family. It didn’t work. The Keefe family fell apart. Mike, at age 17, was on his own and started wandering. Mike’s two sisters were put in foster homes. He lost contact with his family for years. His father cared for his wife until she died in 1971. Ray died in 1980.

Keefe hitchhiked across America for a couple of years, worked for a year at the Chevrolet plant in Leeds, a suburb of Kansas City and then was drafted into the Marine Corps. After his discharge, using the GI Bill, he went to the Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and earned a Bachelor’s, Master’s and completed the coursework for a PhD in mathematics."

"While studying at UMKC, Keefe started drawing cartoons for the University News. He became friends with Bill Sanders, cartoonist at The Milwaukee Journal. Sanders heard that Pat Oliphant, editorial cartoonist for The Denver Post, had taken a new job. He wrote a referral letter about Keefe to the Post who hired him in 1975. At that point he had drawn about 50 cartoons." **

One would think that being a world renowned editorial cartoonist would be enough for one man, but after contacting Mike, I learned that he’s also an award winning author, a husband, father, guitarist, harmonica player and a bear wrestler. We’ll get to the bear wrestling a little later, but let me first take the liberty to explain why I’m fascinated with folks who do what Mike Keefe does, so well.

As a career marketing person, I’m a bit envious of every good editorial cartoonist, because not only do they have eye-catching graphics ability and a strong, persuasive message, they also have the credibility of an entire news organization behind them. That’s impact and power that you just can’t buy for the price of an ad.   


 


Nothing can better personify the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words,” than the work of a great editorial cartoonist. The best ones get directly to the heart of the matter and leave a powerful impression on us without reading paragraph after paragraph of political commentary. . They can reach the real essence of any crisis very quickly, whether that crisis is the economy, government corruption, political folly, or a man-made or natural disaster. Editorial cartoons can illuminate ridiculous policies, address important issues that are being ignored and call out inept leaders, greedy billionaires, warmongers and egomaniacs, to put them in their rightful place.

Remarkably, they can do all that with just one picture and a few words and sometimes, no words at all. The best editorial cartoonists can make an immediate and sometimes incredibly persuasive impact on a mind that was previously made up. Trust me, that’s every marketers dream.




 Mike’s cartoons tend to lean to the Democratic, or more liberal side of the issues and I asked him how his opinions were originally formed:

 “Regarding politics, even though I didn’t understand the issues well, I was swept up in the JFK campaign in 1960. He was a charming candidate and, like me at the time, Catholic. Parishioners at St. Gregory’s were energized and the feeling was contagious. My political views were not really shaped until later, especially during the Vietnam War. By then, I’d been away from St. Ann for a couple of years.”

Well, it all makes sense now. Mike hails from an area that grows Catholics, Democrats, Marines and folks with a healthy sense of humor. I’m happy that he’s taken a good bit of that heritage with him to help shape world opinion for a living. 

I hope you've enjoyed our feature, but I know what you've really been waiting for... here's Mike's bear wrestling story, from his own pen:    


VICTOR

I was on the wrestling team at Ritenour in 1964 when I read a story in the Post Dispatch (or one of the county newspapers) about a wrestling bear. The owner was offering a cash prize to anyone who could pin this bear whose name, as I recall, was Victor.

So far, Victor was undefeated.

I decided to take the challenge. When I told my young sister, Teri, what I planned to do, she pleaded with me: “Don’t do it! You’ll get killed!”

She always had a flare for drama.

While she couldn’t dissuade me, she insisted on coming along in case she had to leap in and pull me away from a mauling.

The event was held in the parking lot of a car dealership in St. Charles. We drove out on the Rock Road and when we arrived there was already a crowd surrounding Victor and his owner. The bear was muzzled and on a leash.

I wanted to wait and watch someone else enter the circle first and grapple with the bear so that I could get an idea of what I was up against. But there were no takers.

Finally, I stepped up. I was assured that the animal had been declawed and his fearsome teeth were safely out of the way behind the leather muzzle. There was some sort of time limit to the match, probably a minute or two.

The owner raised his hand then brought it down sharply. “Wrestle!”

I circled Victor, out of reach, for ten seconds, looking for an opening, The bear, still on his leash, turned with me. At first he stayed on all fours like a friendly dog, but then he reared up on his hind legs. He had six inches on me, at least. Intimidating. Oh well, I thought, this is what I came to do. I plunged in and wrapped my arms around him in, yes, a bear hug.

At that point, you wouldn’t call it wrestling exactly. It was more like dancing. Round and round we went in a fox trot.

Then somehow we ended up on the asphalt, rolling around playfully. I tried for something resembling a half nelson and got a powerful whiff of Victor’s breath. Holy smoke! The fumes were toxic. I was afraid the skin on my face might curdle. Then he poked his tongue out from the muzzle and licked my cheek.

Still, I hung in there and, remarkably, I found that I had Victor on his back.

That’s when I discovered why the animal was undefeated. It was impossible, anatomically, to put both his shoulders on the ground at once. Bears aren’t built that way. Victor seemed to smile and easily pushed me to the side.

Soon, time was up, and I skulked away, defeated.

On the way home, Teri admitted that the whole thing was terrific fun and she was grateful that I had not been eaten.

After a moment, though, she leaned toward me.

“Ewwww! What’s that smell?”

                                                                  _____________________

Before we go, let me play a couple more toons from Mike Keefe:

 




 * Quote from San Miguel Writers Conference, where Mike won top prize for his nonfiction story, "The Blue Grenade," in 2014. You can read the story here: http://sanmiguelwritersconferenceblog.org/blue-grenade-by-mike-keefe/

 ** Profile of Mike Keefe, by Charles McNamarahttp://justaroundhere.com/index.php/all-sections/names-faces/famous-infamous-with-a-link-to-evergreen/109-mike-keefe-editorial-cartoonist

 
 

A snapshot of traffic stops in Northwest St. Louis County


Monday, September 22, 2014

Emerson’s public donation hides the real problem in Ferguson


Emerson Electric (Headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri) generated $25 billion in sales in the past year and is projected to have over $3.5 billion in cash on hand, next year.  Their recent corporate donation of $4.4 million to fund scholarships and job training in the Ferguson area is very admirable, but that donation will also serve as a quick fix for a nightmarish public relations problem and of course, the donation is tax deductible.
Considering the circumstances, I’m confident that there were some very high-level meetings recently at Emerson’s headquarters and it was decided to attack the “Ferguson problem”, with a generous donation.  Again, I believe that was a noble gesture, but it doesn’t begin to address what the real problem for Ferguson and its’ surrounding cities really is.  Namely, a lack of good paying manufacturing jobs for people who are willing to work hard and provide for their families.  Minimum wage jobs and social assistance programs have never revived any cities that I’m aware of.  None.  Ferguson was built primarily from the success of nearby manufacturing plants like McDonnell-Douglas (Boeing) Ford, GM and Emerson itself.  It was those companies’ movements elsewhere and their downsizing that have decimated Ferguson. 
In today’s world, stockholder pressure and senior executive profit incentives, force companies to ignore the communities that helped to build their company in the first place.  Companies are now run by accountants who are constantly searching the world for the cheapest labor and lowest taxes available, to show higher profits on a short-term basis.  Investors and executives demand it.
 
Consequently, some simple research on Emerson’s own Web Site reveals that the company operates more than 150 manufacturing plants outside of the United States.  Sure, many of those plants may have existed previously through Emerson’s worldwide acquisitions, but the question remains, how many new plants are planned to be built in the United States?  Or, better yet, in Ferguson?  How many?
Ferguson’s demise directly correlates with the demise of the middle class in America and more specifically, North St. Louis County.  Corporate profits are at an all-time high, but workers’ wages have actually dropped when you figure inflation into the equation.  If things need to change and we all know they do, why not start in Ferguson?  It has the focus of the world on it right now and Emerson is a worldwide company.  Emerson, please build a plant in Ferguson.  Build a big one.  Be an example to the thousands of corporations who forgot where their roots were and become a pioneer in helping to rebuild the American Middle-Class.  
 
Steve Erdelen
 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

We're Number One! Walking and talking in St. Ann.

I never thought I'd be writing a partisan political story on the Rock Road Reporter blog, but one can never say never. I'm a candidate for Alderman in St. Ann's Ward One and I'm having a great time talking to everyone in the Ward about the city. Well, not everyone, because many people haven't been at home when I dropped by and some people probably think that I'm a salesperson and won't answer the door anyway. I've already encountered so many dogs that  I'm pretty sure I can tell you what breed the dog is, just by the sound of its' bark.

As of February 28th, a couple friends and I have covered about two thirds of Ward One, with campaign materials, but so far, I've only been able to knock on about one quarter of the doors myself. I figured we should get the campaign information out right away and I'll catch up on personal visits as soon as I can. (Some people really have a whole lot to say and by God, I'm gonna listen).

By election day, I will have personally knocked on every one of the estimated 1,500 doors in St. Ann's beautiful Ward One and I'll be a better man for it. So far, the reception from the people has been very good. I feel very welcome at people's homes and I've gathered a lot of information about what Ward One residents really think... both positive and negative. I'll certainly use all that information to better represent Ward One residents, if I'm fortunate enough to get elected.

Let's start with the negatives I've been hearing:

People are genuinely concerned about decreasing home values in St. Ann. The home equity that they have counted on for retirement is quickly crumbling right before their eyes.

There is concern about decaying sidewalks and pothole filled roads.

The recent prevalence of vacant homes and the negligence of absentee landlords is a very strong concern and probably the number one source of complaints.

Business vacancies are another major source of concern and the lack of good shopping options in St. Ann is very frustrating for Ward One residents. "When you turn east on the Rock Road from Lindbergh, it looks like a Ghost Town, it looks like a bomb went off around here," said one Ward One resident. "I can't even buy a pair of pants around here anymore."

Apathy. Many people complained that there is a general sense of apathy among the residents and the officials at City Hall. "It almost seems like we've just given up," said one very spirited grandmother.

Several complaints were also heard about the speed traps and speed cameras throughout the city. One resident said "You're constantly looking over your shoulder around here and you get paranoid just driving to the store. I'm always afraid that I'm going to get ticketed, even when I know I'm going the speed limit. That's not right." There were also many concerns that the city is being kept afloat by writing tickets and that people were staying away from St. Ann, because they believe we have turned into "one big speed trap."

Other complaints regarded everything from trash and yard waste removal to unruly neighbors, but most of the complaints regarded items listed above.

Okay, now it's time to talk about the good stuff:

I didn't hear any complaints about such city services as snow removal and street cleaning, etc. Many people said that they think that St. Ann has "the best Street Department around."

I've heard very few complaints about crime in the city, or at least the part of the city that I've been walking in. The statement of "I feel very safe here," was echoed by several residents. "I like that they snuff out little gang problems before they become big problems," said a World War 2 Veteran. There was also general agreement that response times from the Police Department were extremely quick.

"We have the best park system around and everyone knows that," said a woman who plays golf in Saint Ann, uses the indoor pool quite a bit and likes to take long walks through Tiemeyer Park. 'I just hope we can keep them up,' she added.

For the most part, elected city officials were given a free pass. There were not too many complaints about the Mayor, Aldermen, or the Chief of Police, who seems to be very popular. It was also evident that people don't like to drop names and complain, because they either don't know who I'm friends with, or they just thought that it would be impolite to do so. Don't get me wrong... a few people complained loud and long, but on the whole, there was not a lot of vitriol directed at elected officials in St. Ann.

There also seems to be some new hope over here in Ward One. Several people commented about how happy they were that progress is occurring at Northwest Plaza and elsewhere around town. "It's about damned time," said a close neighbor of mine.

I agree. It is about time and I believe that it's about time that we took the momentum and ran with it. The City of Saint Ann has a lot of work to do, but if the residents of all the other Wards are as honest and expressive as the folks here in Ward One, I think we'll be just fine. Most residents can tell you exactly what the city needs: "We need more businesses!"

That's what I heard while I was walking and that's the platform I'm running on. More business and more businesses. That's what's going to increase St. Ann's tax base, decrease property taxes, improve our home values and improve our standard of living once again. Our great parks and city services were built on sales taxes from businesses in this city and I believe that City Hall lost the focus over the years on bringing new businesses here and on keeping the ones we have. Simply put, getting more business in St. Ann will be my business if I'm elected. New business, new ideas and responding quickly to all of the great people I have met and will meet in Ward One.

To all of those I've met, please call me if you have any more questions. To those of you I haven't met, please jot down a few questions, because I'll be glad to answer them for you. If you see me out walking, it will probably be in the best Ward the city has to offer. We're number One!

Thanks for spending some time at the Rock Road Reporter today.  Check in often.

Steve Erdelen

















Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Ritenour Student-Athletes Signing with Division I Colleges on National Signing Day

Feb. 4, 2014 – Ritenour High School’s (RHS) Devin Alexander and Adewale Adeyoe, two of the top prep football players in the St. Louis region, will sign a letters of intent to play Division I college football on Wednesday, National Signing Day. Alexander has made the decision to play for the Toledo Rockets next fall, while Adeyoe will sign with the Utah State Aggies. Both will officially sign letters of intent at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 5, 2012). (Note: If Ritenour schools are not in session due to inclement weather on Feb. 5, the event will take place on Monday, Feb. 10 at 9:30 a.m.) Media are invited to the event, which takes place in the lobby of the auditorium at Ritenour High School, 9100 St. Charles Rock Road. 
 
Alexander and Adeyoe will be joined by RHS head football coach Hoyt Gregory, athletic director Drew Lohnes and teammates. In addition, three other RHS football players will sign letters of intent – including Le’juan Berry (Culver Stockton), Marvin Millet (Quincy University) and Nate Rifkin (Missouri Baptist).

 
Alexander, a quarterback and defensive back, was named the Suburban North Conference (SNC) Player of the Year on offense as he passed for 1,783 yards, with 13 touchdowns and rushed for 1,415 yards and 20 touchdowns this past season. The 6-4, 235 pound Adeyoe was named the 2013 SNC Player of the Year at defensive end after recording 81 tackles, 12 sacks and two fumble recoveries.