Week 52: YOU

     We made it! This is the final prompt in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. I actually made it to the end. I have a problem with finishing things that I have started, so I'm excited to complete this challenge. This week's prompt is "You". So I have decided to include the information from the "About Me" section of my blog.
    I'm Jen Rickards aka Auntie Jen! Welcome to my blog. I chose the name Auntie Jen because my nephews always refer to me as Auntie. It's also a name that I've used in the past for one of my great Aunt's that I was very close to. And who do you always get the greatest stories and information from? Your crazy Aunt, of course. Aunts always seem to have not only the best stories but the most secrets, and my research has definitely unearthed plenty.
     I first got into genealogy in 2012. I had just moved back to Missouri from Colorado in 2011 and my grandma was wanting to pass special things along to me since she was getting along in years. Along with her special costume jewelry and figurines, she gave me a couple of boxes of old photos. She knew how much I loved photos. I'd never seen these before. They were just thrown into the boxes, no rhyme or reason. Some were water damaged, torn or just not in very good condition. The photos that were in good condition had a lot of people that were unknown to me. Sadly at the time, my grandma's mind was not as sharp as it used to be. There were days when she had clear memories, and others when she didn't. Mom knew some of the people in the photos, but not all of them. I was surprised to see some photos dated back as early as the 1900s. Wow! So I decided to take on the daunting task of labeling these photos.
     I knew the first thing I needed to do was to create a tree. I started filling in the names and dates that I knew for sure. One thing that helped tremendously was a little datebook that had been passed down. Half of it was written in German, the other half translated. That helped with tracing back to my 3x great-grandma. (I have since learned some of the information in this book was incorrect) Once I started plugging in names and getting hints and documents, I was hooked.
     Now I'm working on both mine and my husband's family trees. I've been able to trace most family members back to when they first came to the United States. I've found cases of murder, insanity, war heroes and interesting stories about run-ins with historical figures. But probably one of the most exciting things I've found is I have more family than I ever thought I had. I found the other side of my grandma's family (the ILG family), whom I never knew existed before. That was one of the most exciting finds. As you will see from my blog posts that this was not the only exciting thing I have found while doing my research. Seriously, you have to check out all that I found.
     My dad likes to ask me, "How far are you going to trace back?" Well, my first goal was to just put names to photos. Then it was to trace back to when the family first came to the United States. Yeah, that didn't stop me. I have traced family now in France and Germany. Honestly, I don't know if I ever will stop. There is always one more thing to find. My goals change often as far as my research goes. Once I accomplish one, another pops up. So, while I'm able to research, I will keep researching. I have started doing family trees for friends now as well just because I love doing the research. I hope to one day make this into a career of some sort. I don't know where this journey will lead me, but I will keep following it until I do.
     Now, both my husband and I have taken DNA tests. Mine was through 23 and Me and his was through Ancestry. His was not so surprising, but mine sure is! I might also do mine through Ancestry to see if it is consistent and try to connect with other family members.
     The purpose of this blog is to share my journey through genealogy. I'm hoping the information I gather about my family will be helpful to others possibly researching the same line. I will also share tips I've learned about doing genealogy research as well as information about local history and how to find certain records. Don't forget to check the other tabs at the top of my blog. I have a YouTube Channel and I share some crafts relating to family history. Thank you for checking out my blog and I hope you follow along with me as I climb my trees to see what kind of nuts fall out.
     I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog post for the 52 Ancestors Challenge. As I stated in the past blog post, I will not be participating in the 52 Ancestors Challenge for 2020. I will still continue to write for my blog but will be focused more on specific ancestors this year. So stay tuned for more stories about my family.

Happy New Year!!

Week 51: Future

     The new year is upon us. It's time to make new goals, new plans, new tasks, etc. What do you have planned? What do you hope to accomplish for the new year? Let me tell you what my goals are.
     First and foremost, I obviously want to continue my research. I want to continue to learn more about my family and my husband's family. More details, more facts, more stories, etc. Going deeper than just the basic birth and death records. I want to bring them to life. I hope to write more in-depth and detailed stories about specific ancestors so you can learn more about them and their lives. Without them, I wouldn't be here today. Genealogy research is more than just researching documents. It's making their story come to life. So that's what I hope to do.
     Second, I want to preserve what I do have in my collection. I hope to digitize photos and documents and organize them on my computer. I have so many that my grandma gave me that I haven't scanned in yet. These are the photos that got me into research and I don't want to lose them. Not only do I want to preserve these, but also preserve the memory of specific items. I need to photograph and catalog family heirlooms in my possession along with what my parents have. Memories fade and people forget why a specific item has been passed down for generations and will eventually end up in the trash or a yard sale. If those items get lost or damaged, I want to at least preserve the memories.
     And lastly, I want to further my education when it comes to research so hopefully one day, I can make a career out of this. I have been doing genealogy research since 2012. Eight years doesn't seem like a long time compared to some, but to me, that is a very long time for me to stick with something and still love it. And even though I have a lot of experience and knowledge under my belt, I still don't know near enough. I still have a lot to learn. I just started working on writing up reports for clients after research has been completed. Thanks to Melissa Finlay from Boundless Genealogy, I have learned a great deal about putting one together in a professional manner. I plan on attending webinars, reading more material such as Evidence Explained (my new Christmas gift), and developing my niche. (I'm not telling what it is yet; still a secret). I will also be volunteering to do research for others to strengthen my research skills. Whatever I can do to make this happen, I will be doing. Sancia (my daughter) still has two and a half years of school left, so I have time to really develop my skills. This new year will be the start of going down that path.
     Of course, I will still be blogging about my journey, making and uploading videos to my YouTube Channel, and continue to be active in my Facebook groups as well as my twitter account. And although I really enjoyed doing the 52 ancestors in 52 weeks challenge, I will not be participating next year. While it helped me to keep writing in my blog and stay active, I have some other ideas about what I want to write about this coming year, so I will be devoting my time to those specific topics. If you are interested in participating in the 52 ancestors challenge, please visit Amy Johnson Crow's website.

     So those are my goals for the future. 

What's yours??

Week 50: Tradition

     In my family, we don't have a lot of what you would call, "Traditions". Things have changed over the years and nothing has really been consistently passed down. I do have a lot of memories of spending time with my family for the holidays. But there is one tradition that my husband has been doing with me for years, and it all started on our first Christmas Eve together as husband and wife.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Journal Entry from 12/25/2002 1:30am:

Well tonight has to be the one of the most best nights of my life. First of all, it started snowing yesterday and just finally stopped. It is so beautiful outside. One dream has come true so far. I get to spend the first Christmas with my husband and it happens to be a white Christmas. 

For Christmas Eve, we spent it with his parents at his house. All of the family was there. While we were all doing our own thing, Mark started to open the window on the front door, and fix a speaker by the window. We were like, "What is he doing?" Finally, he led me outside for our slow dance together in the snow. (Brief history: About a year ago when Mark and I were working one night together at One Way, it started to snow and he told me that he wished he had a girlfriend at the moment to slow dance with her in the snow. I was hoping that I was that girl for that moment.) We danced to POG Christmas songs. It was pretty.

So, we come home to my parent's house to stay the night for Christmas and Mark and I are sitting in front of the TV, cause he wouldn't let me go to bed. Why? I did not know. All of a sudden, 1:00am rolls around, officially Christmas. So he turns the TV off and hands me my Christmas card. It was a beautiful card. In it, he had written about a dream he wanted to share with me that night. But I would have to read about it in the Book of Wife. (Brief history: About a year ago or so, Mark had started writing letters to his future wife and called it, appropriately, the Book of Wife. I have only been allowed to read certain entries at certain times, and now it was time for the Christmas entry.) The entry was a few pages long, describing how he felt and what he wanted to do with his wife on Christmas. The ironic thing was the letter was dated December 25, 2001, 1:00am. Exactly one year ago. Finally, it stated what he wanted to do. He wanted to slow dance with his wife in front of the Christmas tree listening to music. So he started the music as I was finishing reading. The first song was the first song we ever slow danced to: I Don't Wanna Go by Avalon. The second song was a Christmas song by Martina McBride: O Holy Night. And the third song was the song Mark and I had deemed as one of our songs: The One by Gary Allen. I was crying the whole time. Just to have the music playing, the lights flashing on the tree, beautiful snow outside, and the man of my dreams in my arms... FOREVER!

But wait, there's more...

When we finished dancing, he pulled an ornament off the tree that was in the shape of a red mail box. He handed it to me and told me, "You've got mail". So I opened it and there was a kleenex inside. I unwrapped it and there was a necklace inside. It was one of the necklaces with a grain of rice inside. And on the rice he had written on one side, "MNJ" (Mark and Jenni) and on the other side, "Forever". I burst into tears again. The necklace itself is beautiful. It has purple beads (My favorite color) and the glass that holds the rice is in the shape of a heart with a rose inside.

So here I am now, writing all what has happened tonight and it is isn't Christmas morning  yet. I can't wait to see what else he has instore for our lives. Praise God for your Mark, my wonderful husband. I love you more than words can say.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     That entry was from my Live Journal that I used to keep. I saved that entry and added it to my scrapbook. Each year from that night, Mark and I have the tradition of exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve and slow dancing in front of the tree. It's been 17 years, and we haven't missed one yet. This Christmas, our daughter has threatened to sneak up and record us slow dancing in front of the tree for Tik Tok. I'm glad she gets a kick out of us.
     Now it doesn't snow every year, but when it does, Mark still tries to surprise me with a slow dance in the snow. A few years ago, while we were still living in the apartment, and we had some beautiful snow that was coming down. I was down at Mary Ellen's apartment getting ready to leave and found him outside waiting for me. Both Mary Ellen and I were wondering what he was doing. So I said goodbye to her and then all of a sudden, he started playing music on his phone and slow danced with me right there in the middle of the apartment complex. A few minutes later when I got upstairs, I received a phone call from Mary Ellen. She confessed she was watching through the window and thought that was the most romantic moment she had ever seen. I was so happy our moment had brought her so much joy.
     We are 10 days away from Christmas Eve. I can't wait to continue this tradition with my husband this year. It is my favorite part of the holidays. What traditions do you have in our family for this time of year?

Our first Christmas 2002

Our special Mailbox ornament

Grandma Swope made this

Week 49: Craft

     For this blog post, I am going to take a moment and advertise our genealogy craft group, GAACR. Our main Facebook group, GAA (Genealogy Addicts Anonymous) is a great place to talk about our obsession with genealogy. The creator, and queen of all, Sue also created a few sister groups to go along with the main group, one of them being Genealogy Addicts Arts & Crafts Room (GAACR).
     I am the head admin in the GAACR group and it is one of my favorite groups by far. This group combines our love of genealogy and our love of being creative. Addicts are encouraged to share craft ideas relating to genealogy, no matter whether they are their own or found on the internet. What is the point of doing the research if you can't share the results with family in a creative way? I've seen beautiful trees, family heirloom displays, genealogy gifts, scrapbooks/family books, repurposed items from collections, and a whole lot more.
     I definitely encourage you to check this group out if you are on Facebook. Come share your talents with us or get some great ideas. Perfect for the holidays!

Join GAACR now!

Week 48: Thief

     We all have a criminal in our family, whether or not we want to admit it. No family is perfect. Some are just better at hiding it. I've sure come across some skeletons in my family while researching their lives. For the 52 Ancestors prompt this week, only one man came to mind that fits within the topic of "Thief". Let me introduce you to Earnest Alexander.
     Earnest Alexander was born July 12, 1874, in Arkansas to John William Alexander and Mary Francis Munday. He is the half-brother of my husband's great-grandma, Mary B. Schulling. I only started researching Earnest to find out more about Mary's family. The first interest I had in him was when I located him in the 1900 United States Federal Census. He was listed as an Inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. Oooooo... Earnest, what did you do?

     A quick search online led me to an index for Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary Inmate Case Files at Archives.gov. He was listed there as inmate #1438. With that information in hand, I sent off an email to the Kansas City Archives to request information about his file. This is the response I got back:

"Earnest Alexander, was inmate number 1438. His inmate file is 7 pages. To make sure this is the “correct” person; here are a few particulars from the file:
Crime: Having in Possession Altered Obligations of the U.S.
Sentence: 2 years
Received at Leavenworth: Dec. 29, 1898
Discharged: July 11, 1900
Ethnicity: White
Occupation: Farmer"

     I was unsure what the crime he was charged with, so I googled that charge. Apparently, he was in possession of counterfeit money. Oh, you naughty boy. The Kansas City Archives told me I could get a copy of his file, but it would cost me $20.00, so I decided to wait on that. I searched in newspapers but found nothing mentioning his arrest.
     Even though I did not get his file, the Archives were nice enough to send me a link to view his mugshot at least. Fascinating! So let me introduce you to Earnest Alexander.

     It appears he was also known by another name: Henry Price. Interesting. I will definitely have to get a copy of his file to hopefully find out more about this character. For now though, this is all I know. So maybe it's a stretch to say he was a thief, but he was definitely trying to, or at least had the idea to, try to "steal" something by passing counterfeit currency.

Do you have any criminals in your family? 

Share them in the comments below.

Happy Find Friday

     If you read the About Me section of my blog, you know how I got started in genealogy research. This photo was from grandma's collection that she gave me. The photo is a torn piece of a cardboard photo. The only clue that was on the photo was the name "Lizzie". I knew this photo belonged to a larger photo, but there was nothing in the box that went with it. When I first started going through the photos, I separated them into different categories. This one was in the "Hopefully Identify Later" category along with a few other photos. I was hopeful that one day I might have an answer. Fast forward a few years later, that day finally came.

Front                                       Back

     I was going through my tree on Ancestry checking hints when I came across a hint for Nancy Elizabeth Wheeler nee Damesworth, my great-grandma. She died when my grandpa, Les Wheeler, was just a baby, so he never knew his mother. I didn't even have a picture of her. At least that's what I thought. When I checked the hints for Nancy, I couldn't believe what I was looking at. Check this out.

     As you can see, this is the full photo of the piece that I had in my possession. This photo was attached by a long lost cousin I had recently gotten in contact with. So this photo was of my great-grandma Nancy Elizabeth Damesworth, "Lizzie". Ah... the name makes sense now. She is pictured here with three of her siblings.
     I share this with you to emphasize how important it is to NOT throw away any photos of people in your collection you do not know. You never know when you may find out who that person is. If I would have thrown that photo away, I wouldn't have figured out, this was my great-grandma and that she was called Lizzie.

William Ilg - Eligible for a Medal: UPDATE

     On November 7, 2019, I went to the mailbox and found the envelope I had been waiting for. The response from the Army Review Board regarding William Ilg's eligibility for the Purple Heart Medal. I almost screamed with excitement. I knew what I had to do. I had to get set up and open up the envelope on camera as a big reveal. I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened it up, but I was in for a surprise. Watch the video below:



     As you can see, I didn't get the response I was hoping for. I was crushed. I knew there was a chance they wouldn't give me an actual medal, but I wasn't expecting them to just flat out reject it. At first, I was just going to let it go and move on, thinking there was nothing I could do. Well, after talking with some friends and family along with doing some research on the web, I have to say, I don't agree with the decision. Their criteria clearly state:

"The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to any member of an Armed Force or any civilian national of the United States who, while serving under competent authority in any capacity with one of the U.S. Armed Services after 5 April 1917, has been wounded or killed, or who has died or may hereafter die after being wounded..." Read the full description here at Recognize The Sacrifice

The response I got from the Army Review Board:

Army Regulation 600-7-22 (Military Awards) govers the award of the Purple Heart. Pleasenot the Purple Heart was established by General George Washington on August 7, 1782 for the Revolutionary War and the award was then reestablished by the President of the United States per War Department General Orders Number 3, 1932. Therefore, the Purple Heart was not an active award when PVT Ilg was killed in action on November 8, 1918 during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

     Their response does not match up with what the criteria state. Plus, I have also found a few articles online about WWI vets receiving the Purple Heart posthumously for the same campaign my 2nd Great Uncle fought in; The Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Why were they awarded, but my Uncle isn't? I need someone to explain this to me. I made another video about my frustration.



     I am serious when I say I am not going to let this go. Until they give me a more valid reason why William Ilg doesn't deserve the Purple Heart citation for his sacrifices, I am going to keep fighting for this. William paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country: his life. And according to the criteria, he deserves a Purple Heart to be added to his record.

Below are some links to some news articles about WWI vets receiving the Purple Heart for their service.

• 100 years later, WWI Soldier awarded Purple Heart 

• Purple Heart medals awarded to World War I Coast Guardsmen 

• CASEY: Glenvar students seek Purple Heart for fallen 'Great War' soldier 

• WWI veteran’s family accepts Purple Heart 100 years after war’s end 

• After 101 years, local World War I veteran receives his Purple Heart

     To figure out what the next step should be I wrote to the National Archives in St. Louis, the ones who gave me the information on who to contact in the first place. I got a response from Susan, the archival specialist who was helping me:

I'm disappointed to hear that. My research indicates that in April 2018, the Army decided to discontinue the issuance of WW1 medals. This decision was based on the belief that, for almost 100 years, the Army has met its obligation to World War I veterans and their descendants by issuing and reissuing medals. It is not economically feasible for the Army to provide medals to all future descendants of Army war veterans. I am assuming this also pertains to determination of entitlement to a decoration such as the Purple Heart, but I'm not sure. The fact that it "wasn't an active award at the time of his death" should not make any difference; if he is entitled, he should receive the Purple Heart. My instructions say "It is also awarded posthumously to the next of kin of personnel killed or having died of wounds received in action after April 5, 1917." It has been awarded retroactively to WW1 veterans since 1942. And in the case of WW1 veterans it is also awarded for mustard gas exposure. The problem is that the 1973 fire destroyed most WW1 Army service records but there are plenty of alternate sources showing entitlement; you have 2 attached to your first email. Possibly someone at ARBA is not fully aware of the procedures or interpreted them differently. I would keep pursuing this issue.

     She has also provided me with another office to contact. The Army HQ in Fort Knox, Kentucky, where they determine Army awards. So according to her, the Army does not actually award medals anymore for WWI vets. Which I didn't expect to get anyway as I am not a descendant of William Ilg, but only a 2nd Great Neice. My goal from the beginning was to have this award added to his record. And that's what I am going to see happen.
     Follow along with me on this new journey and hopefully, we will get William the award he deserves. I will be writing to the Army HQ in Fort Knox and if I don't get anywhere with that, Susan suggested I contact my Congressman or Senator. You bet your butt, that's what I'm going to do. Stay tuned...

Week 46: Poor Man

     I've heard many stories about my dad and his siblings growing up. A lot of them are riddled with humor. Every gettogether I hear a new story I had never heard before. I am trying to record as many of them as I can to preserve the history of our family. I've heard stories about my Aunts & Uncles playing circus in the barn they used to live in. I've heard stories about Christmases and who got what. I've heard stories about gardening and food they used to eat. But the most important thing I would hear in all the stories was no matter what little money they had, their mom, my grandma, always made sure the kids were fed, clothed, warm and always had Christmas presents. Why was this such an important fact? My Papa and Grandma were by many standards, poor. 

     My Papa was a very skilled carpenter. He could build just about anything from the ground up. One of his specialties was concrete. Dad told me how talented he was when it came to forming things with concrete. Sadly, there were times he was out of work, so money was very scarce. Papa also had a drinking problem, which added to their rough circumstances. 

     My dad also told me about all the places they had lived. They lived in Kirkwood, Missouri for a few years, in houses my Papa built. They tried acquiring a restaurant in Arnold, Missouri, but that fell through. After that, they had to live in a small clubhouse that was situated on the Big River and Meramec River near House Springs and Eureka, Missouri. My Papa closed it up the best he could to keep the family safe from the outside elements. Dad said he didn't have the best memories from living there. Then they were trying to also buy a house in Times Beach, a small town next to Eureka, Missouri, but that also fell through. It was that event that caused them to move into the barn in High Ridge, Missouri.

     The barn was just exactly what you would expect. A barn with a loft. The lower level was the kitchen and living room, and the loft was where everyone slept, where the only walls/divisions were curtains. Growing up in the barn wasn't easy for my Dad and his family. But they sure made the best of it. And like I mentioned above with all the stories I have heard, even though my family didn't have a lot of money, they were definitely rich with love. I'm working on putting together a small video of my Dad and his family talking about the barn. My Uncle Marty owns the property now. To this day, all my family gets together for gatherings all the time. We are up to four living generations. I am definitely blessed to have the family I have. We are not perfect, nor are we all the richest, but we have each other and that is priceless.

These are photos of the Barn they lived in

My Uncle made this frame out of the barn wood and glass

My dad and his Siblings

Christmas 2018

My Dad, Siblings and some spouses

Christmas 2018

All us cousins

Christmas 2018

My dad and his siblings

Easter

My Papa and Grandma

My Papa and Grandma

1980, the year my grandma passed away

Week 45: Rich Man

     This week's prompt for the 52 Ancestors Challenge is Rich Man. Out of all the research I've done on my family and my husband's family, there is only one man that can even come close to this title. That man is Thomas H. Swope, my husband's 1st cousin 4x removed. I know I had to go around a long way to get to that one. The reason I know about him is there is a story behind him.

     Col. Thomas Hunton Swope was one of Kansas City, Missouri's most prosperous land developers, who donated tracts of land for a hospital and a city park. Born in Kentucky in 1827, the Yale-educated Thomas Swope speculated in mining and real estate in New York and St. Louis before moving to Kansas City at the age of 30. Once there, Swope entered into the real estate business and eventually owned more land than anyone else in the city. One of his most notable real estate ventures, known as "Swope's Addition," was located at 10th Street and Grand Avenue. [1]
     Swope is best remembered today not for his real estate activities, but for his gift of Swope Park to Kansas City. The park's expansive 1,334 acres, located adjacent to the Blue River, provided a space where eventually the city's residents could enjoy picnics, a night

at Starlight Theater, trips to the Swope Park Zoo (now the Kansas City Zoo), and golfing. When the park opened in 1896, nearly 18,000 people arrived to celebrate. Swope, who was a bachelor, lived in an Independence, Missouri mansion with other family members. [1]
     Over a hundred years ago, however, mention of the name "Swope" would instantly summon conversations about a string of mysterious deaths in the Swope family. On October 3, 1909, just two days after the unexpected death of the executor of Swope's will, Thomas Swope himself died of an apparent "cerebral hemorrhage." More family died while others became violently ill within a very short time of each other. Suspicion fell upon the family doctor, who was also Thomas Hunton Swope's nephew, Dr. Bennett Clark Hyde. Hyde was charged, tried and convicted on May 16, 1910, of the murder of Thomas Swope.[1] On appeal, the verdict was overturned on procedural grounds. Three more trials, seven years and a quarter of a million dollars later, the charges against Hyde were dropped and he was released. [2] To learn more about this tragic story, pick up the book, Deaths on Pleasant Street by Giles Fowler
    Eight and a half years after his death, Col. Thomas Swope was laid to rest in Swope Park. On April 8, 1918, he was buried high on a hill amid a forest of trees, overlooking his gift to Kansas City. His remains lie beneath a Greek temple of white granite, guarded by a pair of stone lions.

Mark's great-grandpa James Albert Swope in front of the Memorial

Sources:
[1]  Dr. Hyde & Mr. Swope
[2] Wikipedia
Photos: kchistory.org and personal collection

Week 44: Trick or Treat

In celebration of Halloween, here are some photos of me dressed up for the holiday when I was little.

abt 1985

abt 1989

2nd grade Halloween Party

abt 1989

Week 43: Transportation

     How do you get around? What is your mode of transportation? A car, bicycle, skateboard, scooter, city bus, train, airplane? Whatever the case, we all use some form of transportation. And if you own your own mode of transportation, you had to get it from somewhere: Store, friend, dealership, etc. Well, if you lived in or near the town of High Ridge in Jefferson County, Missouri, it's possible you bought a car from (or had it repaired by) my Grandpa, Les Wheeler.

     Between the 1950s-1960s, my Grandpa owned his own used car dealership, repair shop and towing business. They operated their business out of their home off Carol Park Road in High Ridge. Sadly, the house is no longer standing. When they redeveloped Hwy 30, they had to tear down the house to put the retaining wall in. The line on the map is where Carol Park Road used to meet up with Old Gravois Road.

Their property sat right at the end of Carol Park Road half on Old Gravois Road. Talking to Mom and Dad (Dad was friends with my Uncle Les), they both told me a lot of accidents happened right there at that intersection. You can see the stop sign right in front of their house in the picture below. That's where Carol Park Road ends on Old Gravois Road. You can also see some of the Used Cars my Grandpa Les had for sale.

     I am a member of a group on Facebook called: You Grew Up In High Ridge, Murphy, House Springs, Ceder Hill area if... and I posted these photos in the group hoping to get some stories. I was not disappointed. I found a few people that were very familiar with my Wheeler family and Grandpa Les' Auto Sales. 

Ira Culley: I went to school with Les Wheeler the son I guess and Ruth was my Sunday school teacher
Robert Baumhoegger: Didn't Wes drive a red 1964 vet. or am I thinking of a different guy
Doug Woolford: Yep the vet he wrecked was a 1960. I was home for the holidays, Dec 64, pegged the speedo going down Antie hill on 44. Yep he was a little wild lol!
Lou Mayes: I think the new Highway 30 took the House because of the retaining wall they had to build. When you are coming out of Carol Park Road now, the wall is right square in from of you with old Highway 30 on top of the wall within 20 to 30 feet.
Eddie Buck: Didn't one of the Les Wheelers have dump trucks?
Jen Rickards: Yes, they had dump trucks and tow trucks. Tow truck said 23 1/2 hour towing and had Ruth's name on the hood.
Don Masson: Last one I remember Les have was an LTL 9000 Ford parked down on Hunning road, along with Ottie Evans and a few others.
Lou Mayes: I think that house was on the corner of Old Highway 30 (Gravois) and Carol Park Road. I remember that they were putting up some kind of CB antenna and using an Aluminum extension ladder and it got away from them and hit the power lines. I think no one was hurt real bad but did suffer some burns. In the one picture, you can see the stop sign and the angle Carol Park Road comes into Gravois. I grew up across the street from the Wheeler’s in Starlight subdivision. Always heard them revving up their engines over there and Doug Woolford always hung around there. To get back to the Powerline accident, JD Weiskopf feet got burnt but I don’t remember how bad. It seems to me someone did die but my memory doesn't serve me very good.
Marshall Munzlinger: He [Les Jr.] drove 49 mercury then he had Corvette and many more in the years.
Donna Hoffmann: He had a 56 Chevy that he shifted with vice grips and he drove an-old Lasalle that belonged to his dad.
Doug Woolford: Les[Jr.] and I ran together all the time. My best friend. That 1960 Ford conv (convertible) Margaret’s mom's car; road in it a lot. Les and I ate dinner well we call my mom see what she had and then see what his mom was having and we ate what we liked the best. Oh sometimes we ate at both lol!
Marian Rowden Umfleet: Les Wheeler jr. Was going too fast and hit me in the backend in a 1961 Chev. Impala. My sister and I both had real bad whiplash! But that was a long time ago.
Ray Bequette: I knew the Wheelers. Knew Les Sr and Jr and went to school with Margaret. Great people.
Robert Baumhoegger: Les Jr. used to drive around in a (I think ) 1964 red Corvette.
Jody Clardy Hedge: I went to school with your mom (and with Ray Bequette). I lived on Carol Park Road (Old Gravois). Long time ago!!
Sonny Kolaks: I remember Les senior's car lot I also remember less Junior having a trucking business pulling in dumps around the area worked with him for a year or so good people.

   I was so excited to hear stories about my family from the members of the group. It really made my family's stories come to life. After reading this, you can understand why I chose to write about my Grandpa for this prompt.

This is my Uncle Les Wheeler Jr standing in front of their house on Carol Park Road in High Ridge.