Comments for NOCO ~ The online magazine of North St. Louis County http://nocostl.com Wed, 23 May 2012 16:46:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on For the Love of Jennings by Rachel (Chrismer) Kuykendall http://nocostl.com/2009/10/for-the-love-of-jennings/comment-page-1/#comment-36790 Rachel (Chrismer) Kuykendall Wed, 23 May 2012 16:46:51 +0000 http://nocostl.com/?p=498#comment-36790 Oops. Phone number was 868-1454. Still shocked that I remember this. This was back when the only time you needed an area code was if you were dialing long distance! Oops. Phone number was 868-1454. Still shocked that I remember this. This was back when the only time you needed an area code was if you were dialing long distance!

]]> Comment on For the Love of Jennings by Rachel (Chrismer) Kuykendall http://nocostl.com/2009/10/for-the-love-of-jennings/comment-page-1/#comment-36789 Rachel (Chrismer) Kuykendall Wed, 23 May 2012 16:45:24 +0000 http://nocostl.com/?p=498#comment-36789 I grew up in Jennings. My address was 2560 Center Ave. My street was bordered by Boyce and Darnell. My old phone number was 868-1545 HA! I can't honestly believe i remember that! I was a 3rd Generation... My grandparents spent much of their lives in Jennings. My grandfather, Eugene Chrismer, worked for the railroad and my grandmother, Phyllis (LeMaster) Chrismer was like many mothers back then, she stayed home and took care of the children as well as doing some seamstress work from home. My father, James Chrismer was one of 5 children, all of which went to Corpus for at least a short time. My brother and I both attended Corpus from 1989-1994; myself K-4 and my brother Michael K-1. We switched to Northview Elementary for one school year before moving to O'Fallon, MO in 1995. I have very fond memories of living in Jennings and I wish I could have seen or experienced what it was like when my parents were growing up there. I missed growing up in a place where it was possible to walk just about anywhere. Our home in O'Fallon was accessible only by a very narrow, winding 2 lane blacktop rural road that was built before sidewalks were even thought of. I remember having lunch with my dad, my uncle and my cousins at Jennings Station on many Saturday afternoons. We were always at Corpus for one reason or another. I spent more days than I can count roaming the parish & school grounds. I attended the final Mass at Corpus and I am truely sad to see the parish and school closed... the gym long gone and the elementary school that I attended soon to be demolished due to such disrepair. Oh and I sooo miss the spaghetti dinners at Corpus!!! We used to fly kites in the large field that bordered the River Roads parking lot. We went sledding a few times down the BIG hill in Koenemen (sp?) park...a few was all we could do because of that loooong walk back up the hill!!! In the summers my brother and I would stay with my (maternal) grandmother Della 'Kathleen' Daves, at her house on Emma.... we would walk to my other grandmothers house on the corner of Albright and Apricot on occasion to visit my cousins. I miss all of that. We only ever had but a few 'bad' experiences. My brother's and cousin's bycicles were stolen right off of our front porch at 4 in the afternoon after only sitting there for about 5 minutes... My grandmother's home was broken into while she was in the hospital recoveing from hip replacement surgery... my Paternal grandmother's home was broken into on several occasions, all of which she was home for. And shortly before we moved I recall hearing gun shots on what my dad has told me was just the next street over from us. I grew up in Jennings. My address was 2560 Center Ave. My street was bordered by Boyce and Darnell. My old phone number was 868-1545 HA! I can’t honestly believe i remember that! I was a 3rd Generation… My grandparents spent much of their lives in Jennings. My grandfather, Eugene Chrismer, worked for the railroad and my grandmother, Phyllis (LeMaster) Chrismer was like many mothers back then, she stayed home and took care of the children as well as doing some seamstress work from home. My father, James Chrismer was one of 5 children, all of which went to Corpus for at least a short time. My brother and I both attended Corpus from 1989-1994; myself K-4 and my brother Michael K-1. We switched to Northview Elementary for one school year before moving to O’Fallon, MO in 1995.

I have very fond memories of living in Jennings and I wish I could have seen or experienced what it was like when my parents were growing up there. I missed growing up in a place where it was possible to walk just about anywhere. Our home in O’Fallon was accessible only by a very narrow, winding 2 lane blacktop rural road that was built before sidewalks were even thought of.

I remember having lunch with my dad, my uncle and my cousins at Jennings Station on many Saturday afternoons. We were always at Corpus for one reason or another. I spent more days than I can count roaming the parish & school grounds. I attended the final Mass at Corpus and I am truely sad to see the parish and school closed… the gym long gone and the elementary school that I attended soon to be demolished due to such disrepair. Oh and I sooo miss the spaghetti dinners at Corpus!!!

We used to fly kites in the large field that bordered the River Roads parking lot. We went sledding a few times down the BIG hill in Koenemen (sp?) park…a few was all we could do because of that loooong walk back up the hill!!!

In the summers my brother and I would stay with my (maternal) grandmother Della ‘Kathleen’ Daves, at her house on Emma…. we would walk to my other grandmothers house on the corner of Albright and Apricot on occasion to visit my cousins. I miss all of that.

We only ever had but a few ‘bad’ experiences. My brother’s and cousin’s bycicles were stolen right off of our front porch at 4 in the afternoon after only sitting there for about 5 minutes… My grandmother’s home was broken into while she was in the hospital recoveing from hip replacement surgery… my Paternal grandmother’s home was broken into on several occasions, all of which she was home for. And shortly before we moved I recall hearing gun shots on what my dad has told me was just the next street over from us.

]]> Comment on For the Love of Jennings by Stephanie Schramm http://nocostl.com/2009/10/for-the-love-of-jennings/comment-page-1/#comment-36718 Stephanie Schramm Wed, 23 May 2012 04:19:24 +0000 http://nocostl.com/?p=498#comment-36718 I grew up in Jennings...we lived on Mary Avenue and went to St Lucy's....grew up going to Tharp's tavern and lived across the street from the tharp's on Mary...remembered Braihland, Bandles and I was in the last freshman class at Corpus Christi all the places mentioned I remember..my dad grew up in Jennings and my brother was a fireman in Jennings...love hearing everyones memories I grew up in Jennings…we lived on Mary Avenue and went to St Lucy’s….grew up going to Tharp’s tavern and lived across the street from the tharp’s on Mary…remembered Braihland, Bandles and I was in the last freshman class at Corpus Christi all the places mentioned I remember..my dad grew up in Jennings and my brother was a fireman in Jennings…love hearing everyones memories

]]> Comment on For the Love of Jennings by Corinne Corley http://nocostl.com/2009/10/for-the-love-of-jennings/comment-page-1/#comment-36682 Corinne Corley Tue, 22 May 2012 21:40:25 +0000 http://nocostl.com/?p=498#comment-36682 I am the little sister of Adrienne Corley Johnson who posted just above. Thank you for sharing all of your memories of Jennings. Adrienne has encapsulated my childhood in her post. It was a special place and whatever our lives were or weren't, I felt safe and secure on the streets of Jennings as I have never been able to feel my son was even in our nice neighborhood in Kansas City. There's no place like home! I am the little sister of Adrienne Corley Johnson who posted just above. Thank you for sharing all of your memories of Jennings. Adrienne has encapsulated my childhood in her post. It was a special place and whatever our lives were or weren’t, I felt safe and secure on the streets of Jennings as I have never been able to feel my son was even in our nice neighborhood in Kansas City. There’s no place like home!

]]> Comment on For the Love of Jennings by Adrienne Corley Johnson http://nocostl.com/2009/10/for-the-love-of-jennings/comment-page-1/#comment-36661 Adrienne Corley Johnson Tue, 22 May 2012 17:34:33 +0000 http://nocostl.com/?p=498#comment-36661 Oh my goodness! When I found Corpus Christi Elementary School's Facebook site I was enchanted. Finding this site is just as terrific. I read my former neighbor's entry about her grandfather, our neighbor, Jim Hawkins. My family lived in between the two Hawkins' families. The elder Mr. Hawkins had built our house where he had his upholstery business and then when my parents bought the house he moved next door. We sold our house after my father died in 1991; my mother was already gone. While we attended school at Corpus, which did indeed have a wonderful campus including that great bowling alley to which someone referred, we went to "Summer School" at Woodland. We ADORED it as did my mother. It gave her a much needed break from her children, although she never said that. There were eight of us. Summer School meant fun, friends, and lots to do. We made pot holders lester lace jewlery, played tether ball, softball. There was a tennis court but I cannot remember anyone using it. On rainy days we had puzzle contests. We went all morning, went home for lunch, and came back for the afternoon session. When we got to old we were alowed to be "helpers." Miss Cane (spelling) was our teacher. She lived on Avis just one street over from Kinamore where Woodland was. On Halloween which we loved cause we got to go out after dark ALONE, she had a sign in sheet and children felt so special. The Casteels lived on Avie and Aunt Agnes, I think she was actually related to the Casteels, but we all called her Aunt Agnes and her husband Uncle Louie, lived in a house that was just a basement and after Uncle Louis died Aunt Agnes married what I heard was her childhood sweetheart and they finished the house. Just passed Aunt Agnes and Uncle Louis's house was Pic a Chick Hill, so named because there was an old chicken farm(?) truck that had that name on it. We took our sleds down there in the winter, and I picked mulberries there for muffins and bread and cereal in the summer. Lottmillers (sp) farm which was not really a farm but had a pretty big at least to us amount of land was right next to Pic a Chick Hill. There were two Sands drug stores: Big Sands and Little Sands. We usually went to Little Sands cuz it was closer to our house; it was on the corner of Sunbury and West Florissant. There was a traffic light and it was pretty much the only place we could cross West Florissant except to get to the bus stop at West Florissant and McLaran. I remember when Northland Shopping Center was built when they added the post office and movie theatre and was saddened at its demise. My father stayed in our house on McLaran Avenue even after he was burglarized by two men whom my father had let earn some money by mowing the yard and gave them a drink of water. Anyway, I could go on but it would essentially be my entire life since I left Jennings at age 22 after graduating from UMSL. My first year at UMSL was the year of the first graduating class 66-67. We walked the tracks from school home even though it was STRICTLY against my mother's rules, laid on the rockbed beside the tracks on the hill when a train went by. I love Jennings, drive by our house whenever I have time when I am in St. Louis, have looked at it on google maps and am amazed that it does look good although there seems to be a jungle next to the driveway and the tree my brothers used to climb is gone and the sycamore tree that we called the puzzle tree is gone also. Our house had a stop sign in front of it and the police would turn it around before and after school so children could safely cross. Hello to Sandi whose posting about Mr. Hawkins I saw above. Oh my goodness! When I found Corpus Christi Elementary School’s Facebook site I was enchanted. Finding this site is just as terrific. I read my former neighbor’s entry about her grandfather, our neighbor, Jim Hawkins. My family lived in between the two Hawkins’ families. The elder Mr. Hawkins had built our house where he had his upholstery business and then when my parents bought the house he moved next door. We sold our house after my father died in 1991; my mother was already gone. While we attended school at Corpus, which did indeed have a wonderful campus including that great bowling alley to which someone referred, we went to “Summer School” at Woodland. We ADORED it as did my mother. It gave her a much needed break from her children, although she never said that. There were eight of us. Summer School meant fun, friends, and lots to do. We made pot holders lester lace jewlery, played tether ball, softball. There was a tennis court but I cannot remember anyone using it. On rainy days we had puzzle contests. We went all morning, went home for lunch, and came back for the afternoon session. When we got to old we were alowed to be “helpers.” Miss Cane (spelling) was our teacher. She lived on Avis just one street over from Kinamore where Woodland was. On Halloween which we loved cause we got to go out after dark ALONE, she had a sign in sheet and children felt so special. The Casteels lived on Avie and Aunt Agnes, I think she was actually related to the Casteels, but we all called her Aunt Agnes and her husband Uncle Louie, lived in a house that was just a basement and after Uncle Louis died Aunt Agnes married what I heard was her childhood sweetheart and they finished the house. Just passed Aunt Agnes and Uncle Louis’s house was Pic a Chick Hill, so named because there was an old chicken farm(?) truck that had that name on it. We took our sleds down there in the winter, and I picked mulberries there for muffins and bread and cereal in the summer. Lottmillers (sp) farm which was not really a farm but had a pretty big at least to us amount of land was right next to Pic a Chick Hill. There were two Sands drug stores: Big Sands and Little Sands. We usually went to Little Sands cuz it was closer to our house; it was on the corner of Sunbury and West Florissant. There was a traffic light and it was pretty much the only place we could cross West Florissant except to get to the bus stop at West Florissant and McLaran. I remember when Northland Shopping Center was built when they added the post office and movie theatre and was saddened at its demise. My father stayed in our house on McLaran Avenue even after he was burglarized by two men whom my father had let earn some money by mowing the yard and gave them a drink of water. Anyway, I could go on but it would essentially be my entire life since I left Jennings at age 22 after graduating from UMSL. My first year at UMSL was the year of the first graduating class 66-67. We walked the tracks from school home even though it was STRICTLY against my mother’s rules, laid on the rockbed beside the tracks on the hill when a train went by. I love Jennings, drive by our house whenever I have time when I am in St. Louis, have looked at it on google maps and am amazed that it does look good although there seems to be a jungle next to the driveway and the tree my brothers used to climb is gone and the sycamore tree that we called the puzzle tree is gone also. Our house had a stop sign in front of it and the police would turn it around before and after school so children could safely cross. Hello to Sandi whose posting about Mr. Hawkins I saw above.

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