News Update - July 5, 2009

Valmeyer’s 2009 Parade Is One For The Ages
Village Is Marking 100 Years Of Founding

The Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales were the main attraction during Sunday’s Valmeyer Mid-Summer Celebration Parade. The streets were lined with more than a thousand revelers to watch the parade. The Clydesdale’s made an appearance as part of Valmeyer Centennial Celebration festivities, commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the village.               – photo by Bob Haentzler -  additional Valmeyer parade photos online at www.gatewayphoto.net

Members of the Valmeyer American Legion Post Auxiliary show their patriotic spirit. Charter member Twyla Luhr, center, waved flags along the parade route.

Tim Brown and Nick Collette ride a custom car in the parade.

Mid-Summer Classic Postponed – Field Not Dry Enough

A helicopter flew in from Parks Field and hovered over the Borsch Memorial Park ball field to help dry the infield.

Try as they might, with all the rain overnight, the ground crew was not able to get the Borsch Park baseball diamond dry enough today to get the games underway. A helicopter was even flown over the field to try and dry the infield. League officials are working on making a decision as to when the tournament will resume.

“We are hoping to find a field available this week that is dry enough and has lights for night games,” said Dennis Pieper, Valmeyer Lakers manager and director of the Mid-Summer Classic. “Hopefully, we’ll have things finalized in the next day or so and resume the Mid-Summer Classic.”

After the games were officially called Sunday, a home run derby was held for the players remaining at the park. Local slugger Matt Stuckmeyer of the Valmeyer Lakers finished in second place.

Ed-itor Wienhoff did his part to help dry the field – he used a Sham-Wow! towel on the infield to absorb some of the dampness. He laid it on the infield, pounded it down and rolled it up to soak up the water. “It may be great at picking up spilled soda on a carpet, but the Sham Wow! really didn’t do much good on a ball field,” said the Ed-itor.                      – photo by Matt Stuckmeyer

Recent Obituaries

Marion Ries, nee Gummersheimer, 78, of rural Columbia, died July 2, 2009 at her residence. She was born Jan. 27, 1931 in East St. Louis, the daughter of the late Theodore and Alfrieda (nee Weltig) Gummersheimer. She married Harvey Ries in 1951. In addition to her husband, Mrs. Ries is survived by her children Diana Hamilton, Duane Ries (friend Ellen), Dean (Sharon) Ries, Donald (Debbie K.) Ries and Debbie (Rich) Koch; grandchildren Sondra Hampton, Jeremy (Katie) Ries, Nathaniel Hamilton, Kimberly Ries, Amber Quade, Amanda Koch, Timothy Ries, John Ries, Shawn Koch, Mark Ries and Ben Gates; great-grandchildren Steven Hampton, Emrick Hamilton, Benjamin Kent and Jean (Marcellus) Eckert; and sisters Iona Juengling and Evelyn (Kenneth) Stumpf. Mrs. Ries was a member of the local Home and Community Extension for more than 50 years. She served on various offices on the county and state level, including state board president. She was also a member of St. Paul UCC in Columbia where she served as a past-president of the Women's Fellowship, a longtime 4-H leader; the superintendent of photography for the Monroe County Fair, a member of Monroe County Farm Bureau, was active in Modern Woodman’s Floraville Camp, Sister Cities of Portaloo and organized the local chapter of TOPS. At Marion’s request, her body was donated to the Washington University School of Medicine. A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 11, at 11 a.m., at St. Paul UCC in Columbia with Pastors Bob Goddard and Kris Avise-Rouse officiating. Memorials may be made to her church, Monroe County HCE, Monroe County Fair or 4-H Foundation.