Historical February 1996 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Editor’s note: Shirley Polk, a board member of the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council, asked the Times to profile a longtime neighbor in honor of Black History Month–Anna Busch, Anna Busch and her family moved to Skinker DeBaliviere in 1967.
She and her husband of almost 50 years, Horace, have 6 children, five daughters and a son.
There are also five grandchildren and one on the way.
Her children went to St. Roch. Soon after moving to this neighborhood, Busch became involved with a number of community activities.
She was a charter member of Women for City Living.
This organization turned into the Women’s Crusade Against Crime at the request of Father Cervantes. Busch also worked on Aid to Victims of Crime.
In 1974, she and Suzanne Hart co-chaired the Medal of Valor awards that were sponsored by the Women’s Crusade Against Crime.
As a result of these efforts, she has received numerous awards, including several from police organizations.
She is proud of having helped relocate the 7th District police station from Union and Page to Union and Delmar. Busch also was a member and officer of the Washington Heights Neighbors and helped to organize a Little League team in Washington Heights.
She also was a board member of People’s Clinic which was originally located at 6010 Kingsbury.
She served as a member of the executive board at St. Roch and worked with the PTA at its school.
In 1969, she began to work as a volunteer with the Skinker DeBaliviere Community Council.
In 1971, then executive director Cal Stuart asked her to be the council secretary.
She worked in that capacity until 1981 when she took a job with the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court.
The Buschs have long participated in the 28th Ward Regular Democratic Club. Mr. Busch served as secretary and as treasurer. At the first VP Fair, the Buschs had a booth, “Peri-Busch Bar-B-Que.
Some of her favorite memories including working to get a railing along the edge of her street, 57xx Pershing, because a car had driven off Pershing and landed almost on the Forest Park Parkway.
She also remembers with fondness holding the first appreciation party for the 7th district at her home.
There was a big barbecue.
She reminisced that she helped devise a way to assign spaces for art work at Skinker DeBaliviere’s first art fair. Busch has no regrets about settling in Skinker DeBalivicre.
She said, “It’s been really nice, nice for the kids to go to school at St. Roch. Even though it was a changing neighborhood, a lot of people really accepted us.” She also loved Father Peet, a people person. Busch also enjoyed having a good relationship with the Police Department “who were always so friendly to kids.” She has been a longtime block captain.
She also noted that Skinker DeBaliviere is close to parks, the bus, and schools.
She misses the friends who have moved away over the years. Busch noted that she wouldn’t have been able to participate in so many activities were it not for her husband. “He’s been a good provider and very supportive.” The Buschs are still quite active. Today she and her husband work with the Knights of Columbus and also work at Mother Teresa’s Gift of Mary Center.
Original photograph caption
Anna Busch. Photographer not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, February 1996.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1996_02.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 4; PDF page(s) 1, 4.
