Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum Mausoleum Tour

 

Veteran tour guide Joe Shields (with assist from guide in training, Amber) were at the entrance of the magnificent grounds of the Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum at 4947 West Florissant Avenue (Saint Louis, MO 63115) when I pulled in to join a scheduled tour for 10:30 a.m. on Saturday August 28. We were a group of 16 (including myself and the two guides). Poised to take in the sights and history of this remarkable place, Joe advised us that we would be visiting a select group of mausoleums over the next two hours. We came to appreciate the history of this place that dates back to the early 19^th century and the rural cemetery movement. Like other rural American cemeteries that preceded it, Bellefontaine’s 1949 rules of incorporations planned for the grounds to be beyond the borders of the city’s residential population.

The heat index this day was approaching 100 degrees but we were thrilled to gain access inside several structures honoring some of the families and individuals that are part of the history of Saint Louis. Over 80,000 are laid to rest here (some dating back to the Civil War and before). The most prominent mark our town’s heritage in oil, beer, shoes, grain, show business and more. Our master guide calls the study of this place a sort of confluence of coincidence that reflects some of the amazing success stories of our region.

A few highlights:

• In 1891, St. Louis millionaire and brewer Ellis Wainwright commissioned architect Louis Sullivan to design a tomb for his wife who had died suddenly of peritonitis. Sullivan had recently completed the Wainwright Building in St. Louis, which is considered to be the beginning of modern skyscraper design. The mausoleum is a domed cube with simple carved decorations in Sullivan’s signature stylized plant patterns. The mausoleum’s double doors are bronze grills framed by delicate stone carvings. Sullivan’s draftsman for the project was Frank Lloyd Wright, who became one of America’s most illustrious architects. The unique tomb was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
• This Egyptian Revival mausoleum, designed by Eames and Young, was built in 1907 by Frank N. Tate, who at the time controlled most of the theater property in St. Louis. He also owned theaters in Chicago and Buffalo, New York. In 1921, Mr. and Mrs. Tate erected the Lee H. Tate Hall at the University of Missouri as a memorial to their son , Lee Harry Tate, who was killed in an automobile accident that year. The mausoleum has an entry flanked by columns with palm capitals. An Egyptian winged disc is flanked by serpents above the entry, and a pair of granite sphinxes guard the front.
• George Warren Brown made his fortune as a manufacturer of shoes. His hexagonal mausoleum was designed in 1928 by St. Louis architects Mauran, Russell, and Crowell. Nearby is the circular mausoleum of George’s brother, Alanson Brown, who was an early president of Hamilton-Brown Shoe Company. His Romanesque Revival style tomb was designed in 1910 by St. Louis architect Isaac Taylor.
• In 1904 – the year that St. Louis hosted its own World’s Fair – Bellefontaine erected what would be its most visited memorial to date, an obelisk and bust commemorating General William Clark (1770 – 1838) of Lewis & Clark fame. 

The story of Bellefontaine Cemetery began in the early nineteenth century as Saint Louis flourished. Today, this beautiful place is a touchpoint for history, a source of natural beauty, art and architecture.  

RIP FSK

 

It’s about me after all,

Said a great man about to fall.

Along the way kernels of wisdom are bestowed;

What made him tick, we’ll never know.

That vision - value without compromise;

You could almost see it - in his eyes.

At heart, an enlightened leader first;

An equal-opportunity hater (at worst).

Mining the best in human capital;

He saw the potentials in us all;

The great man demanded our best;

And for this we are truly blest.

Ironically a model of equity;

Justice in a merit-based autocracy;

He was benevolent, never ambivalent;

There will never be an equivalent;

Tower of Babel or fall of Rome;

No one inherits this man’s thrown.

The Maestro goes on to an orchestra beyond;

With reflection and affection our memories are so very fond.

Thank You FSK

RIP Fred S. Kummer (4/23/1929 – 4/30/2021) 

A visitation was held from 4:00-8:00pm at Bopp Chapel on Wednesday May 5, 2021 and a funeral service at the Village Lutheran church at 9237 Clayton Road in Ladue, MO 63124 - May his memory be a blessing to you. Mrs. June Kummer, Dave and  Melanie Brewer, Fritz Kummer and Tess, Caroline and Tom Croswell. 8 grandchildren. Family and friends. 

Here is how it was reported in the Saint Louis Post Dispatch:

Fred Kummer, founder of HBE Corp. and Adam’s Mark hotels, dies at 92 

Steph Kukuljan , Blythe Bernhard

ST. LOUIS — To know Fred Kummer, a hospital builder and founder of the Adam’s Mark hotel chain, was to admire and loathe him — sometimes at the same time.

Kummer earned a reputation of being ironhanded with clients and employees alike; though those who knew him said he always wanted people to rise to their potential.

“He was pretty transparent. It was not a secret: You knew where you stood with him at any time,” said Wes Morgan, a former vice president of marketing for Kummer’s hospital development company HBE Corp.

Mr. Kummer died Friday. He was 92.

Born Frederick Strange Kummer Jr. in New York to a hotel engineer father and a homemaker mother, he grew up in the Hotel Wellington, four blocks from Central Park. He wanted to be an engineer like his father and studied at what is now Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Mr. Kummer worked for several construction companies before forming Kummer Construction Co. in the basement of his Crestwood home. By the 1960s, he started designing and building hospitals and nursing homes and changed the company name to Hospital Building and Equipment Corp., or HBE. He grew profits from $5,460.72 his first year in business to over $600 million in revenue, becoming one of the largest developers in the country.

Mr. Kummer also had a whimsical side and wore comic suspenders for a laugh. His philanthropy included donations to the NAACP, Urban League and Habitat for Humanity.

Morgan, who said he had the “unique experience” of being fired by Mr. Kummer twice, said his former boss had high expectations — “an equal-opportunity hater” — but was also a CEO who surrounded himself with smart people. Morgan last saw Mr. Kummer on April 25 when Kummer asked Morgan to come to his house to talk about his grandson’s business.

“I used to say HBE was an organization full of dysfunctional people. But Fred knew the potential of people and leveraged that,” Morgan said.

In 1972, Mr. Kummer bought his first hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, which became the Adam’s Mark hotel chain, named after Adam Mountain in Colorado and the Marker, a restaurant in the Charlotte hotel. The downtown St. Louis location opened in March 1986. Kummer sold the hotel chain beginning in 2003.

The chain of 24 properties was rocked by claims of racism starting in the 1990s that led to a $5 million award to two former hotel managers in St. Louis. A federal jury agreed they had been victims of discrimination. The amount was reduced on appeal, but testimony in the trial indicated unfair treatment toward Black guests and employees.

In 2001, the company agreed to pay out $1.1 million to settle allegations that the Adam’s Mark in Daytona Beach, Florida, discriminated against Black guests.

At the time, Mr. Kummer acknowledged discrimination and vowed to “work on it every day.”

“I respect people for what they are,” he said during a 2001 Post-Dispatch interview. “There’s no question about it, America is fundamentally unfair. The system is stacked against minorities. I don’t know how any thinking person could not think so.”

Mr. Kummer continued to stay interested in business and development after stepping down as chief executive from HBE in 2013.

In 2019, he acquired a half-acre of real estate in downtown Clayton from the Gershman family and affiliated entities where he unveiled a $270 million project with luxury condominiums and a high-end hotel. The project was meant to be his last hurrah.

“He knew he was near the end of a storied career but he was determined to cut the ribbon on the (Clayton) project,” said Chris Fox, president and CEO of Gershman Commercial Real Estate, which represented the Gershman family in its sale with Kummer.

But by 2020, Mr. Kummer dropped the project and started talks with St. Louis commercial real estate firm Balke Brown Transwestern to sell the property.

“He was very open about the urgency of his situation,” Fox said. “He told me several times that he no longer buys green bananas.”

Last fall, the business titan and his wife, June, donated $300 million to his alma mater, Missouri S&T — the largest single gift to a university in Missouri history.

The university plans to use the “transformative” funds for a new school of innovation and entrepreneurship, research activities and scholarships for students, according to Mo Dehghani, Missouri S&T chancellor.

Kummer, a 1955 graduate in civil engineering, has said he owed much of his success to his education there.

“My Rolla experience taught me how to think, how to work hard and how to manage my own career,” Mr. Kummer said in an October statement.

In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, Fred S. Kummer III; two daughters, Caroline Crosswell and Melanie Brewer; a sister, Gloria Shedler, and sister-in-law Arleen Roettger; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bopp Chapel in Kirkwood.

NOTE:

June Marie Kummer born June 1930 - died January 8, 2024

 

MDMC goes Viral in 2021

Photo (above): Vernon Ross facilitates interview with Christina Costello, Chief of Staff and Director of Strategy of Anheuser-Busch 

The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference goes virtual April 26-29, 2021 

The concept of a conference dedicated to the State of Digital Media Marketing was born at the campus of the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2013 under the leadership of Perry Drake PhD. That first event featured prominent speakers (mostly via Google Hangouts) at the J.C. Penney Conference Center at UMSL. The conference grew to a full-day event. The exhibit hall and keynote were packed in just two years. The event took over St. Louis Union Station almost doubling capacity/attendance. The event grew as it became a regional event, rebranded - The Midwest Digital Marketing Conference or MDMC.

MDMC is now the largest digital marketing conference in the Midwest. Attendance records of nearly 2,000 have come to see speakers including the likes of BuzzFeed, Pandora, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Refinery29, Pinterest, GoDaddy, Under Armour, LinkedIn, HubSpot, Google, Yahoo and Nielsen. MDMC features sessions across tracks such as: Data, Digital, Social Media, Creative, E-commerce, Innovation, Academic/Student, Tech and Entrepreneurial. 

The Global Pandemic forced MDMC to pivot a bit from its plans in April 2020 and in 2021 but managed to rise to the challenges. The MDMC mission to engage, inform and expand conversation, access the latest trends, and facilitate opportunities in digital and social media marketing/communications via top tier marketing practitioners and academics continues. MDMC is inclusive and equitable at its core. As a production of a public university, it is an opportunity to anyone seeking knowledge. 100% of all net proceeds from MDMC go back to the university in the form such as marketing scholarships, faculty research support, and software. I was honored to be among VIP guests on April 27 at Outreach Studios where Vernon Ross facilitated video Q&A with Anheuser-Busch strategy lead and a peak behind the scene at The St. Louis Aquarium. The MDMC franchise lives on. 

AMA Conference 60

The American Marketing Association of Saint Louis just hosted its 60^th annual conference. But this one was the first one that was 100% virtual. The legacy and mission of our chapter is to advocate for the professional study and practice of marketing. Dedicated chapter leaders reach out to students and marketers in our region. This annual conference theme is Discovery through Disruption.

Bill Ellis, Brand Architect and Founder of Branding for Results is our master of ceremonies. He made the transition to a virtual format flawless with the able support of technical expertise of Conference Technologies Incorporated. Objective Media served as creative consultant and fine-tuned graphic elements.

Lee Broughton and Khalia Collier presented a vision for Major League Soccer in Saint Louis. Lee is Founder of Broughton Brand Company and Chief Brand Architect for St. Louis CITY Major League Soccer team. Khalia Collier is Vice President of Community Relations for St. Louis CITY SC. Together Lee and Khalia they shared the exciting vision for professional soccer in Saint Louis.

Laura Burkemper, Partner & Chief Executive Officer of CARTEL Strategies earned her MBA in international business and now is a professor at Saint Louis University.

Brandon Dempsey is partner at the GoBrandGo! Marketing firm. He is the driving force behind the strategy side of the business and focused on building relationships with entrepreneurs across not only the US, but the world.

Segun Babalola is president of the African Chamber of Commerce of Saint Louis. Mr. Babalola received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Southeast Missouri State University as well as a degree in International Studies from Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Rennes, France. He has an Master in Business Administration degree from Webster University, St. Louis. He brought significant insights into marketing to the African continent and the 54 countries therein.

Stan Phelps is a best-selling author of the 13-book Goldfish Series. He is a Forbes Contributor, TEDx Speaker, IBM Futurist. Goldfish are a metaphor for growth says Stan. An average goldfish is under 3 inches long but under the right conditions they can grow to over 20 inches.

Congratulation to all involved in putting on this remarkable conference together. Photo above: Stan Phelps 

As a bonus: all those who signed up for this virtual conference receive a box of prizes that includes premium items, coffee, conference mug, snack food and more. An awesome team effort and a celebration of marketing.

Make My Day

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the San Francisco police detective character played by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Harry movies. Harry Callahan is someone who does not hesitate to cross boundaries in pursuit of justice, especially when it is clear that justice is poorly served by the law and a flawed system. It’s fantastic to see Harry get the bad guys in spite of inept bureaucracies, corruption in city government, punitive suspensions from duty and all kinds of collateral damage to property - all with little or no harm to countless innocent bystanders between episodic gunfire and car chases. Movies are made as a form of escapism. We all know we can’t take the law into our own hands and single-handedly and swiftly get retribution. We can’t right all the wrongs that happen in the course of our lives or even fully mitigate the threats of our potential enemies. We love Harry because he represents a hero who can make snap judgments and correctly comprehend the magnitude of evil and with his powerful weapon and extreme precision make things right. In real life, so much depends on each and every one of us to do a part in making the world a better, fairer and safer place. The real heroes in life never get to confront the bad guy at a moment of truth and say something like: Go ahead, make my day. I will always be a fan of the iconoclastic rogue police detective in movie fiction. It’s entertaining to see resolution inside the context of a two-hour motion picture. But for me, outside that format I am always inspired by the collective courage people show every single day with kindness, compassion, caring and love for humanity. You are the real heroes. You add up to a better world. You are important. I hope you know - you make my day. 

Thank you.

So long George - you will be missed

 

George Ryll, 73, Sebastian, Florida passed away on February 10, 2021 at home with his family. 

He was born in Uslar, Germany on September 14, 1947. George came to this country with his family in 1956.  After graduating from Passaic County Vocational high school he served in the US Army. George lived most of his life in West Creek, New Jersey. He was an active member of the Eagleswood Fire Company from 1973 to 2000 serving as Chief from 1979 till 1986 and again from 1990 to 1998. He was a member of the NJ State Fire Chiefs Association as well as the Ocean County and Southern Ocean County Fire Chiefs Association. He was a Life Member of the Fireman’s Association. He worked for HBE corporation as a project supervisor until 1997 when he went to work for Oceanfirst Bank as a facilities manager.  

George and his wife Barbara retired to Sebastian in 2011.  He enjoyed many rounds of golf with his friends at Sebastian Municipal Golf Course, where he was a member.  

George was preceded in death by his first wife Elaine and his children Stephanie and Chip. He is survived by his wife Barbara, his sisters, Hilda; Irene (Ditmar); and Anna; his granddaughters, Kaia and Olivia, and many nieces and nephews. 

George will always be remembered for his kind and generous heart, his sense of humor, his willingness to always help a friend or stranger, and above all, his deep unconditional love for his family. A celebration of his life will be held later this year. 

In  lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Eagleswood Fire Company, 

219 Railroad Ave., West Creek, NJ 08092.

To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of George Ryll...

Wesley A Morgan from Saint Louis, wrote on Feb. 17, 2021

George, you will be missed. Anyone who had the pleasure of joining you for a round of golf knows that you found joy in each moment. I know you will be smiling on all of the HBE hackers going forward. We'll be sure to offer a toast to your memory when we convene again in October for the 10th annual HBE Memorial/Alumni event at Creve Coeur Golf Course.

https://www.seawindsfh.com/obituary/george-ryll

NOTE: Mark your calendar for The HBEAnnual Alumni/Memorial event on October 2, 2021 at Creve Coeur Golf Course. 

The Future is Present

 

The Future is Present: Art and Global Change

The show has been in the works for a while now. It resonates with the Laumeier mission to look at the connection between art and nature. The Aronson Fine Arts Building opened again on Saturday February 6, 2021. It is an invitation to participate thoughtfully, and on a global scale, while embracing a kind of mindfulness.

Case in point: Leviathon, Elegy for Ice is an installation that includes sound and video collected from the Arctic Circle in the Svalbard fjords in Norway. Pete Froslie teaches art at the University of Oklahoma (Norman). He holds a BFA from the University of Nevada, Reno and an MFA from Massachusetts College of Art. His work here presents data collected from two expeditions to the Arctic Circle. You can hear ice cracking and see water swirling. It’s mesmerizing.

Showcased here are ten more artists that range in methodologies from sublime to meticulous. It calls for an open mind and multiple visits to this venue in the heart of Sunset Hills. Among the works are:Tightrope: (31) While Observing, 2018 by Elias Sime made of repurposed salvaged electronic components; A Rhizumatic Solar Cart by Hannah Chalew set on wheels adjacent to the park’s South Lawn with lights presumably powered by the sun’s energy via solar panel: and The Playhead of Dawn, 2018 by Jenny Kendler and Brian Kirkbridge captured sounds of birds singing.  

Take in this title card from inside to get a sense of artist Jake Chapman’s sense of whimsy and doom: (Free Willy) 2012 fiberglass plastic and mixed media sculpture. “When the world ends, there’ll be no more air. That’s why it’s important to pollute the air now. Before it’s too late. After the end of the world, also, all the technological advances which have been made in this century, which could at this very moment allow a leisure society for all but a few technicians, and a few women with wombs – so that there will, I mean there could, be no more social class – after the end of this world when humans are no more…

Clearly, this is an exhibition that features work that challenges on many levels as complex as issues around climate change itself. It is a remarkable exhibition worthy of dialogue even in an age of social distancing and mask muffled interfaces. The exhibition on view through May 9, 2021. 

From Laumeier Website:

THE FUTURE IS PRESENT: ART AND GLOBAL CHANGE

February 6–May 9, 2021 / Aronson Fine Arts Center

The Future is Present: Art and Global Change will examine the intersections between art and some of the world’s most pressing issues: climate change, environmental crisis and the related global repercussions. The exhibition explores the innovation of artists and their commitment to understanding humankind’s material impact on nature and technology’s role in understanding this global emergency.

The Future is Present will emphasis the urgency of topics ranging from deforestation and astronomical phenomena to tech waste. The artists assembled bring perspectives from across the planet, and they will use video, sound, virtual/augmented reality and upcycled materials to address this theme.

Exhibition artists:

Daniel Canogar (Los Angeles/Madrid)

Hannah Chalew (New Orleans)

Jake Chapman (London)

Pete Froslie (Norman, OK)

Jenny Kendler (Chicago)

Van McElwee (St. Louis)

Elias Sime (Addis Ababa)

Calum Stirling (Glasgow) and Daniel Fishkin (Charlottesville)

Marina Zurkow (New York)

According to Curator Dana Turkovic, the exhibition’s title is inspired by a quote from Bertrand Picard, a co-pilot of the first solar powered balloon to attempt to circle the world non-stop. Turkovic says, “Describing his experience, Picard explained ‘when landing, it was like going back to the past’ realizing his ability to push the boundary of existing knowledge in his field of study.”

She adds, “In the spirit of this ground-breaking exploration, the exhibition will examine the insights of artists, highlighting how the visual culture sector is not only reflecting our world back to us, but doing so through the lens of technology, taking charge on our environment and reminding us that our future is the present.”