What purpose did the First Street building in O’Fallon serve before it was the VFW?

Did you know the building that’s now home to O’Fallon VFW Post 805 at 221 W. First St. was once a funeral home?

The oldest part of the building, on the west side, was originally a house dating back to at least 1893, probably earlier. Next door to the west in the present-day Fezziwig’s building was Schwarz Brothers Furniture and Undertaking.

In 1920, they converted the house into a funeral chapel by enlarging it and adding a porch. They remodeled it again in 1932. The Schwarz funeral business was sold in 1946 and became Wolfersberger-Meyer funeral home which moved to 102 W. Washington in 1948.

The now-empty building was sold to the predecessor of Post 805 in 1950 and was enlarged and remodeled for use as a VFW hall. What did the building look like when it was a funeral home?

When the 1932 remodeling was completed in October of that year, the Progress printed this descriptive tour of the building, giving a feel for what it was like.

“On entering these handsome parlors one passes through a neatly equipped sun parlor, 8x20, with screened paneled easement windows, the equipment including a drinking fountain and fitting reed furniture.

“The main parlor is an elaborately equipped room, 20x40. To the rear is an arched alcove, embellished with a background of art glass centered with a beautiful white lily and bordered with blending colors of art glass.

“The walls are in a restful cream color, being done in stiple tone of soft tinted colors, indirect lighting being through a shade of honey-colored glass fixtures. The floor covering is of heavy Axminster with neat block design in taupe rose with a touch of blue. The drapes are heavy velour in a wine color shade.

“The main parlor is divided from a private family parlor by French doors. Both rooms have a profusion of lounge and occasional chairs, divans, tables and lamps to harmonize with the general color scheme.

“One of the outstanding furnishings of the new parlors is the latest type of electrically controlled mortuary organs. This instrument will be completely secreted from view, the soft music reverberating through the entire building which is equipped with the sound system. The organ, specially constructed for the local parlors will afford a 45-minute funeral service. An open hall, with heavy drapes, divides the main parlors and a 20x20 display parlor. The color scheme in this room is rose and green with harmonizing Axminster floor covering. In the main part is located a convenient rest room.

“The far end of the building contains a preparation room which is furnished with the finest and latest equipment. The entire interior of the building is equipped with the latest type of electric ventilation. This system is capable of giving a complete change of air every eight minutes when necessary.”

75 years ago, June 17, 1948

Saturday will be a big sports day for the some 60 players in the Junior City baseball league and their managers, serving in the capacity of adult supervisors, when they attend the Babe Ruth baseball clinic at Sportsman’s Park, St. Louis.

Preparations are being made for the group to leave O’Fallon at 8 a.m. in two chartered buses, the clinic beginning at 10 o’clock, with various members of the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Browns giving demonstrations on hitting.

The “Great Bambino”, Babe Ruth, will make his appearance in the latter part of the clinic. At the conclusion of the morning clinic the park will be cleared and immediately thereafter the boys and their supervisors will be readmitted to the park free of charge to witness the afternoon game between the New York Yankees and the Brownies.

The Youth Baseball program, being assisted by Albert A. Schobert is making the trip possible for the boys, with the transportation to and from St. Louis free of charge. The Program is making every preparation to make this trip a success from the standpoint of enlightenment and enjoyment to the boys. The O’Fallon Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club are providing the chartered buses.

(It was one of Ruth’s last public appearances and his last in a major league stadium. He died August 16, 1948.)

50 years ago, June 14, 1973

Two new regular policemen and five new deputy marshals have been hired by the city of O’Fallon in a joint effort by both the city and the police department to increase police protection in certain areas and for better traffic control.

The two new policemen, Steve Chamberlain of Mascoutah and Vincent Kozsidy of Granite City will report this week to the department to begin their one-year probationary term. By state law, all probationary policemen are required to pass 240 hours of basic law enforcement training.

Acting Chief of Police Darwin Lehman said that the two new officers will be riding with regular patrolmen during the first part of their training to receive experience in handling actual calls for assistance. Lehman said that the department is hoping two more policemen are hired by the city sometime in the future since the two men just hired will be replacing two that are leaving the department.

Chief of Police James Tiley is scheduled for retirement in September and Lt. Gene Ferguson is tentatively planning retirement in April of next year. Five men have been hired for the deputy marshal positions. Lehman said that the department plans to hire more men for the job but time will be taken in the selection of the men.

The five new deputy marshals hired are Archie Childers, Gary Drnjevic, Don Fuhrhop, Glen Moore, and Edward Rolberg. Childers and Moore are dispatchers for the O’Fallon police also.

Mayor Gary Mackey and Lehman both feel that the park has been in need for extra police to patrol the area and the new deputy marshals have been hired for that purpose. Besides patrolling the park, the marshals will work at picnics, homecomings, high school functions, and assist police in regular duty.

Lehman said the marshals will gain experience by first riding with regular policemen and when the regular patrolman feels the marshal has gained the needed experience he will be permitted to patrol on his own. Lehman will decide when the marshal can patrol on his own. However, Lehman said the marshal will never be alone on the street. A regular policeman will be on duty also.

Childers and Moore will still be dispatchers for the police department, but Lehman said that in case of an emergency, any policeman on the force can operate the dispatching system. Every man has been trained in its operation. The only piece of equipment that the patrolmen do not know how to operate is the Western Union telecommunication system that only the dispatchers are trained to work.