People occasionally ask me for a precise definition of “vicissitudes,” and this seems an appropriate month to indulge in a bit of description. The dictionary says that vicissitudes are the “unpredictable changes or variations that keep occurring in life, fortune, etc.” It is certainly apt this month, for we have happy news of babies, anniversaries, weddings, new homes, but sad news as well, of those events we endure rather than enjoy. In this neighborhood, as in few others, we share both.
We can’t think of a nicer way to begin the New Year than with the fine and happy news that Lois and Vince Schoemehl are expecting their first baby in August. Our heartiest congratulations!
Rumor has it that Parkview’s Dick and Judy Shepherd are expecting…more details as they become apparent. Congratulations to the Shepherds!
A Jim Mitchell rehab on the Mitchells’ own block, 6000 Westminster, has been sold. The house is a duplex which Jim is still quite busy turning into a single family home. The buyers are Rick and Sue Sindel, who now live in University City. We look forward to meeting them as they become our neighbors some this spring.
Soon to be moving into our neighborhood are newlyweds Arline (Bergdorf) and Dick Webb. The happy event was on January 8. Both Arline and Dick work for the Red Cross and presently live in the Central West End. Arline is no newcomer to our neighborhood, however, having been conned into attending many of our fund-raisers and other activities here. Her mother was 1st grade teacher at
St. Roch’s for many years. We congratulate Arline and Dick on their marriage and eagerly await their official move into the neighborhood.
Former neighbors Barb and Gary Keiser, who now reside in Cleveland, were here for a brief visit during the holidays. They detoured from visiting relatives in Illinois long enough to eat at everyone’s favorite, the Lantern House, and stay overnight with Doug and Cherie McKee. We have learned that Gary likes his new position in Cleveland very much, and Barb is happily decorating a new home somewhat similar to their Parkview house. An interesting sidelight is that Kathy Buckley, who was Barb’s neighbor in Parkview, has a sister, Terri, who is now Barb’s neighbor in Cleveland. Small world, indeed.
Speaking of the McKees, Cherie has spent the better part of this miserably cold January recuperating from viral pneumonia. As a matter of fact, the winter months have generated a number of illnesses, as always, and several of our neighbors have even been hospitalized recently.
Among those now recuperating at home are Marlene Mestres, of the 6100 block of Kingsbury, and Karen Brown, of the 5800 block of Pershing. Hospitalized in Minnesota while attending a special school for his work is John Seay, of the 6100 block of Westminster. We hope he will be able to return home soon, and we certainly hope all these illnesses and the cold weather have disappeared by the time you receive this!
In happier news, Evelyn Harris, daughter of Mrs. Edith Harris of the 5900 block of Waterman, was married on January 8 to Victor Holloman. The couple will make their new home in Denver, Colorado. Congratulations of another sort too for Mrs. Harris: her daughter Vivian Jennings and husband presented her with a new granchild on December 29. Lots of excitement and happy news for the Harrises.
January was not a great month in many ways in our neighborhood. Three of our neighbors had serious fires. Mrs. Mattie Palmer, on the 6000 block of McPherson, had to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation following a kitchen fire in her home. We hope she will be able to return home soon. On the 5800 block of DeGiverville, the Carmichael family had a fire which did great damage to the third floor, as well as water damage to the rest of the house. We hope their home with us will soon be restored. On the 6100 block of Westminster, Nick and Denise Gollubske suffered heavy damage to their house, which they had nearly finished renovating. Those of us who had watched with interest their long hours of work restoring the house were greatly saddened by the frightening fire, and we hope that Nick and Denise will be able to repair the damage. We still look forward to having them as neighbors, but we can be grateful that the cold weather had prevented them from moving in, as they had planned to do just the weekend before the fire.
We extend our sympathy to Mike and Sylvia Stahl at the passing of Mr. Samuel Berger, Sylvia’s father. Mr. Berger lived with the Stahls and will be missed by their friends and neighbors.
We express our condolences to the family and friends of Jane Davis, who passed away in December. Jane was involved in many of our neighborhood activities, among them the summer program, which she worked very hard to promote. To her husband Prentis and their children, who live on the 5800 block of Pershing, and to their many friends , we express our sympathies.
Horace and Anna Busch celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on New Year’s Eve with a lovely party at their home. Congratulations to the Busches. St. Roch’s was the scene of a wedding on Saturday, January 15, as Mary Malecek, daughter of June and Ed Malecek of the 6100 block of McPherson, was married to Bernard Podovan. We wish them all the best of luck.
Just missing our last issue, Dennis and Donna Johnson, of the 6100 block of Westminster, had a new baby girl on November 23. Her name is Tea Pirkka (pronounced TAY’-A PEER’-KA). Her lovely and unusual name stems from Finland, where the Johnsons lived last year. Congratulations to the Johnsons! Among those lucky enough to be able to attend the gala inauguration events of President Carter are Sandy Rothchild and also Steve and Dee Vossmeyer. The lucky Vossmeyers were part of the official Missouri delegation. As a matter of fact, they were very early involved in Carter’s campaign, to the extent that Chip and Karen Carter stayed in their home on Westminster while campaigning here in August of 1975. Not quite a “Jimmy slept here,” but as good as!
Our neighborhood certainly has its share of civic leaders, and we want to wish the best of luck to those of our neighbors who will soon be running for office. Alderman Vince Schoemehl is running for reelection; our neighbor on McPherson, Ken Cohen, is running for Comptroller of the City of St. Louis; and two of our neighbors, Betty Klinefelter and Marj Weir, are running for two of the four seats available on the Board of Education. Whatever your political persuasions, our neighborhood is surely proud of our friends who are involved in holding and attempting public office.
We also expect that a rather large portion of our collective time this spring will be spent on working for one or more of our friends’ campaigns. If you do have time to make any other news, do let us know. Your energy will be applauded, if nothing else!
Original photograph caption
Photograph accompanying the note that Dick and Judy Shepherd are expecting. The Paper, February 1977, page 3. Child not named in the printed caption; photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Paper, February 1977.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Source apparently prints some this spring and granchild; preserved for review.
Original source: SD_Times1977_02.pdf, printed page(s) 3; PDF page(s) 3.
