Historical April 1995 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
I graduated from the University of Missouri School of Veterinary Medicine in June of 1975.
After about two years in a practice in Bridgeton, I was planning on returning to Columbia, Missouri, to join a classmate in a new practice.
In anticipation of that move, I had accepted a position, in August of 1977, with the newly formed Animal Emergency Clinic in Kirkwood.
The plan was for me to work about 6 months in the Emergency practice before the move to Columbia. That fall, my son Ben was diagnosed with a rare inherited blood disorder.
He had been mildly ill for several months and was finally hospitalized at St. Louis Children’s Hospital where his mother, Marjie, and I were given the unexpected news. Considering Ben’s illness and likely need for future hospital visits and medical care for such a rare disorder, Marjie and I decided a move to Columbia was not feasible.
I enjoyed the work at the Emergency Clinic, but felt the odd hours were not going to provide the time for my family, and I wanted to complete the dream of having my own practice. Marjie and I were living in our first house in Hazelwood, just off Missouri Bottom Road and HWY 270 near my first job.
We both had grown up in the North County area and our families were still living there.
We were fond of local art shows and had been to at least one of the Mother’s Day art fairs after we moved back to St. Louis.
We liked the neighborhood.
I told people, ” I remember this as the area we had to drive through to get to the Zoo and Muny Opera when I first learned to drive.” It was nice to see for ourselves that it was much more than an area just to be driven through. One night in February of 1978, Marjie and I had dinner guests.
We talked about our plans, and what we thought I would do to continue my profession.
After our guest left, Marjie and I put the dirty dishes in the sink and went to bed, but I could not sleep.
My mind raced.
I got up and washed the dishes.
Then I remembered, the last time we were at a Mother’s Day Art Fair, there was a boarded up service station on one corner.
I woke Marjie up and told her I knew what I wanted to do.
It was about 3 o’clock in the morning.
I got dressed and drove down into this neighborhood.
I had to know if the station was still vacant; I wanted to see if there was a sign; I wanted to see more of the neighborhood.
It was snowing slightly, the ground was dusted.
I drove onto the parking lot of the still vacant station and wrote down the name and number of the realty company. Then, with the driver’s window down, I cruised around the neighborhood.
It was very quiet that late with the snow falling. And it was light enough to see the many aspects of this neighborhood we all love.
I don’t remember what time I got home. But, soon after, we started the process rolling that would lead me to open Kingsbury Animal Hospital in June of 1978.
I remember the call I got from then Alderman Vince Schoemehl.
He invited Marjie and I to attend a Rosedale Neighbors meeting.
We received a warm reception from the gathering in St. Roch’s basement.
The neighborhood had been concerned for sometime about the vacant property, and had staved off an attempt to open a car wash. Everyone was genuinely pleased that we thought enough of the neighborhood to open a veterinary practice.
It was a great experience and was a precursor of the feelings of community that we were to find in Skinker-DeBaliviere when we moved into our first home in the neighborhood at 6133 Westminster.
It is odd how fast 17 years can go by.
There have been many changes.
I have two sons, Ben 18 and Joey 14. Marjie and I are no longer together, but as many of you know, we both have strong ties to the neighborhood.
It has been wonderful to have a neighborhood business in an area as diverse as ours.
I have seen children grow up with their pets; I have gotten to know many wonderful people as clients, and friends; I have received much love and support from those friends, especially through the rough times of my sons illnesses; I have enjoyed helping people care for their pets and have felt a close bond with many as it came time to make decisions about letting their pets pass on.
My foremost impression of this area is its sense of neighborhood.
I experienced this through Rosedale Neighbors meetings, SDCC meetings, Halloween parties, Progressive Dinners, Rags to Riches Sales, Mothers Day Art Fairs, Men’s Liberation Bake Sales, and through the unfortunate times when there were problems in the area to discuss.
I hope as an individual, and as a neighborhood business owner, that we can keep that sense neighborhood.
I need it.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April 1995.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1995_04.pdf, printed page(s) 9; PDF page(s) 8.
