anyone from the St. Louis, MO/ SW illinois area?

by SnakesInTheTower 23 Replies latest jw friends

  • CoonDawg
    CoonDawg

    Weren't the Sondermans down in S. IL? I think they ended up in Cairo or Redbud or somewhere.

    And of course you probably know the Berry family. They lived in Jackson / Cape for years. Still have a daughter in Ecuador or somewhere. Dave and Jenny ended up moving up to DeSoto, MO where they still practice their sanctimonious ways. It was hell when their house was the only thing between me and the KH. They were terrible neighbors.

  • SnakesInTheTower
    SnakesInTheTower

    coondawg:

    And of course you probably know the Berry family. They lived in Jackson / Cape for years. Still have a daughter in Ecuador or somewhere. Dave and Jenny ended up moving up to DeSoto, MO where they still practice their sanctimonious ways. It was hell when their house was the only thing between me and the KH. They were terrible neighbors.

    Is that the same Dave Berry that is on the Assembly Hall Committee in St. Louis? If so, then yep, I knew them. I disappeared off their radar a little bit ago..cant say more.

    Snakes ()

  • DonutsToGo
    DonutsToGo

    Snakes, Interesting assessment of Wood River as being bigots and racists. I grew up there in that hall - but I never got that impression. Spot on with it being dead. It is really sad cause there are many good people there.

  • NotBlind
    NotBlind

    In the early 90's, I think the Sonderman's were in Cairo. Cairo was one of those 'orphan' congs: Even though they were geographically in Southern Illinois, they were actually in MO#1, so they were isolated from the other So IL congregations.

    I haven't heard about the closing of Carlyle, but it certainly wouldn't suprise me. For many years, they had only 2 elders, after a serious deflation. For a while in the early 90's, they filled their hall on Sundays and had 8 elders. Anybody here know Rick Wheeler from that hall?

    I knew that Nashville had a hall that closed a LONG time ago, perhaps early 70's? And I knew they had some serious problems, but I never knew the details. I think that's where Irving Kelle was. He ended up in Carlyle until he passed away.

    Oh, and the stories I could tell you about Marion, DuQuoin, and Benton! Enough for their own post, perhaps even their own thread!

    Metropolis still exists, with more attendees than ever before. Val Sichling is still there and is the same as ever. Rumor is that Metropolis will be building a new hall within a year or two; their current hall is in the middle of the local meth-lab neighborhood.

    And Wood River: Well, I never spent much time in that cong, but I was there when they built that hall back over Thanksgiving weekend 1987 - it rained like it had never rained before.....

    More later....

  • flipper
    flipper

    SNAKES- I couldn't help notice the name Melvin and Betty Branam. I believe they may be the same couple who my parents knew way back in the 50's and 60's in Bakersfield, California perhaps ! It truly is a small world. Do you know if he served as a elder, er excuse me congregation servant in those days back in Bakersfield, Calif. ? Just curious

  • moreisbetter
    moreisbetter

    Would Decatur, IL be in the area you all are talking about? I have 2 remaining relatives on my father's side there. The wife has MS. They would be very disappointed about my status, but I don't think they would shun me. Just curious. Thanks.

  • SnakesInTheTower
    SnakesInTheTower

    NotBlind:

    Anybody here know Rick Wheeler from that hall?

    Yes. I had several conversations with Rick when visiting that congo....I had friends there at one time.... His wife had an odd name...cant remember...but she was nice...their kids were wild.... the boy used to brag about the huge "circuit" parties he held...JW equivalents of a rave. But last I heard the boy and the girl had settled down and were good little dubbies...

    Wood River: Well, I never spent much time in that cong, but I was there when they built that hall back over Thanksgiving weekend 1987 - it rained like it had never rained before.....

    that build SUCKED...do you remember the self righteous pioneer/elder there? involved in that MLM phone scam... I wont call him out on the board....LOL.... that was the last KH QB that did not use Society approved plans...and that split roof was a huge design flaw. It was leaking at the point the two roofs met in the valley. Any KHs with that roof design are having the roof replaced... WR was recently gutted and renovated...roof rebuild was part of that. I was not part of that build since I was on my way out by then

    flipper:

    Melvin and Betty Branam. I believe they may be the same couple who my parents knew way back in the 50's and 60's in Bakersfield, California perhaps ! It truly is a small world. Do you know if he served as a elder, er excuse me congregation servant in those days back in Bakersfield, Calif.

    dont know for certain... seems to me that Mel was over Society Trucking operations down in Texas back in the days when the Society had its own fleet of trucks (including refrig trucks for transporting all those delicious danishes and burritos to DCs).... before he went into circuit work... seems like he may have mentioned being in CA for awhile..but I cannot say for certain...

    Snakes ()

  • looking_glass
    looking_glass
    Oh, and the stories I could tell you about Marion, DuQuoin, and Benton! Enough for their own post, perhaps even their own thread!

    Come on Notblind! Share. That is not fair to make a statement and not follow thru. In particular because I knowz peeps in those towns!!!

  • SnakesInTheTower
    SnakesInTheTower

    lg:

    Come on Notblind! Share. That is not fair to make a statement and not follow thru. In particular because I knowz peeps in those towns!!!

    agreed notblind...share....i know folks there too.... but then again, then maybe i have to share more..and i am not quite ready to go in the open

    Snakes ()

  • DonutsToGo
    DonutsToGo

    My parents used to be very good friends with the Wheelers - as I recall they had a double wedding with them. As I understand it one of their dad's (the wife's?) is an "apostate".

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