St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 92

St. Charles Post 3SC FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1997 ST. CHARLES COUNTY Center Military Secret Finally Out, Sold To Highest Bidder tion center project. The consultants also say the property is vital to helping the city establish a tax increment financing district to provide the project with about $7.7 million in special tax considerations. They would help finance road improvements and site preparation for the project.

A Missouri city or county can set up a TIF district where officials want to see development or redevelopment take place. Once a district is established, a city or county can borrow money or issue notes or bonds to pay for all or part of certain improvements, such as building roads and extending utility lines. Ward, said the convention center is being designed to grow and expand and that the Toma property is necessary to accommodate that eventual expansion. Councilman Donald Lang, 5th Ward, said it is much easier to move forward with the project if the development site is completely under the city's control. The city and the County Convention and Sports Authority announced in May that they would jointly spend $28 million to develop the facility.

The consulting company of Peck-ham Guyton Albers Viets, which has advised the officials on the project, said the Toma property was essential for expanding the conven A if irM 5. it 'V, 4 VI I World War II veteran and collector Edgar Hentz examines the Norden bombsight he sold at the auction of the Confederate Air Force. Hentz was a B-17 bombardier in the 8th Air Force. 5 miles, two or three days a week, to attend to his duties at Smartt Field. Like many CAF members, Davis is a military veteran.

But as a Naval aviation cadet in the 1950s, Davis had some problems. "I washed out of the training because I couldn't land a plane," said Davis. "They finally sent me home." Davis said Americans need to be reminded of what it means to be patriotic. "Young people take freedom for granted, like it's owed to them," Davis said. "But they wouldn't have that freedom had a lot of people not died for it." A poster in Davis's office reminds visitors that 53,477,000 people died on all sides in World War II.

It lists 36 major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo and Moscow. The death count of WWII is greater than the combined population of all 36 cities. "Think of all those cities being empty," Davis said. "And you have an idea of the toll." Rodeo Injuries Gibson and his horse to the ground. Gibson's horse rolled over him, causing internal injuries.

Gibson was a member of the Missouri and the American Cowboy Rodeo Associations. erate Air Force is a national organization dedicated to preserving the combat aircraft of World War II. The CAF has established museums in several states to permanently house and display its collection of 130 planes, including both Allied and Axis aircraft. The Missouri wing has 180 members in two squadrons, one in Kansas City, and one in Springfield. The wing has three aircraft, all housed in the CAF hangar at Smartt Field.

The "ghost squadron" includes a 1945 B25J Mitchell bomber, a North American AT-6C trainer, and an Aer-onca L-3 observation plane. A trailer next to the hangar houses a small museum of about 450 World War II artifacts. Chester Davis, 67, serves as wing leader for the local chapter. Davis joined the organization in 1991. He spent the first three months sitting at a table, separating boxes of nuts and bolts used to restore the planes.

He was elected wing leader in January of this year. An Affton resident, Davis drives 80 In addition, meals delivered to homebound residents also are served from the crowded kitchen. While promoting the bond issue, proponents frequently mentioned that the kitchen is so crowded that workers must keep the freezer in the dining room where it takes up needed space and hums loudly. Fannin said that because of increased attendance at the center and to get ready for winter, the center has just put a second freezer in the dining room. City officials promised that the bond issue would not cost residents more in taxes.

Bonds issued in 1976 will be retired this year and then be reissued to pay for the center. The debt will continue and will be paid from the city's general fund. Carla Potts, deputy director of NE-CAC, said: "I think in the light of welfare reform, it is important to let the community know that people are succeeding and that the kinds of programs they need are the programs that provide a sense of community, mentorship, and support, and that is what NECAC and the FSS program do." of St. Charles, died Wednesday (Oct. 22, 1997) at St.

Joseph Health Center in St. Charles after a brief illness. Mr. Gorham, of Rolla, was a carpenter for many years for the Rolla School District. Visitation will be private.

The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. today at Paul Funeral Home, 240 North Kingshighway, St. Charles. Burial will be at Oak Grove Cemetery, 2700 West Clay Street, St. Charles.

Among survivors are four daughters, Lorraine Brown of Troy, Connie Boe of Middleton, Idaho, Melinda Brown of West Palm, and Jennifer Stokes of Springfield, two sons, Wayne Gorham of Warrenton and Brian Gorham of Rolla; a sister, Gloria Kuhn of St. Ann; 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions can be made to a charity of the donor's choice in care of Paul Funeral Home, 240 North Kingshighway, St. Charles, Mo. 63301.

Carl Gibson Carl Gibson, 40, of Elsberry, died Thursday (Oct. 23, 1997) at St. John's Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur of injuries he suffered in a rodeo accident. Mr. Gibson was a carpenter and farmer in Elsberry.

He had also worked for the D-C Rodeo Co. of Elsberry. He was a member of the Missouri and American Cowboy Rodeo associations. Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. today at Kemper-Marsh Funeral Home, 351 Monroe Street, Troy.

The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at the Auburn Cemetery in Silex. Among survivors are his wife, Pam Gibson; his father and stepmother, Albert and Virginia Gibson of Troy; his mother, Louise Gibson of Elsberry; five daughters, Kiesha Gibson and Courtney Gibson, both of Troy, Krista Saxe of Old Monroe, Kelly Gibson of Tucson, and Kristen Finley of Elsberry; a son, Josh Gibson of Troy; two sisters, Patti Gibson of Troy and Connie Dietrich of Troy; a brother, Alfred Gibson of Elsberry; a stepbrother, Tony Brown of Silex; a stepsister, Stacy Burris of Troy; his grandparents, Ida Gibson of Whiteside, and Dorothy Borgmann of O'Fallon; and two grandchildren. From page one to provide enough land for parking for both the hotel and convention center facilities.

Riddler noted that the city has memorandums of understanding with the convention authority and hotel developer, LHM and that negotiations with both groups are under way. "Worst-case scenario, if everything falls apart, you're much better off controlling a 20-acre site for future development," Riddler said. Council President Mary West, 4th Senior From page one new senior recreation center on the eastern end of the St. Mary's property. The city bought the St.

Mary's property in August, and officials hope to complete the renovation and to build the new senior center before the end of next year. Jo Fannin, administrator of the O'Fallon and Wentzville senior centers, said the new center would accommodate about 400 people, with about 200 dining and 200 involved in other activities. The maximum now is 80, she said. In addition, the center will have a Family From page one a garage for a year. Through Family Self-Sufficiency, Taylor has earned her bachelor's degree in business administration and is employed as an accounts representative at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton.

Mildred K. Singer Mildred Katherine Singer, 92, of Wentzville, died Tuesday (Oct. 21, 1997) at Greentree Nursing Home in Warrenton. Mrs. Singer was a homemaker.

A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. today at T.E. Pitman Funeral Home, 909 Pitman Avenue, Wentzville. Burial will be at Linn Cemetery in Wentzville. There are no immediate survivors.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Wentzville in care of T.E. Pitman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 248, Wentzville, Mo. 63385. Luwina K.

Aulbert Luwina K. Aulbert, 90, of Defiance, died Wednesday (Oct. 22, 1997) at the Wentzville Park Care Center in Wentzville. Mrs. Aulbert was a homemaker.

Visitation will be, from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Baue Funeral Home, 1575 West Pearce Boulevard, Wentzville. The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John United Church of Christ in Cappeln, Mo.

Burial will be at the Linn Cemetery, Interstate 70 and Highway in Wentzville. Among survivors are her husband, Henry J. Aulbert of Defiance. Memorial contributions can be made to St. John United Church of Christ in Cappeln in care of Baue Funeral Home, 1575 West Pearce Boulevard, Wentzville, Mo.

63385. Nellie N. Hampton Nellie N. Hampton, 87, of St. Charles, died Wednesday (Oct.

22, 1997) at St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. Mrs. Hampton was a retired telephone operator for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1.

The funeral service will be private. Burial will be at St. John's Cemetery, 1293 St. Cyr Road, north St. Louis County.

Among survivors are two daughters, Mary Ann Martin of St. Charles and Phyllis C. Balke of Spanish Lake; a son, James P. Miller of Las Vegas; a sister, Ruth Krissinger of Huntsville, a sister, Delores Thierheimer of Fenton; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Memorial contributions can be made to the American Cancer Society in care of Baue Funeral Home, 620 Jefferson Street, St.

Charles, Mo. 63301. Bertha Tebeau Bertha Tebeau, 86, of Wentzville, died Wednesday (Oct. 22, 1997) at Claywest House in St. Charles.

Mrs. Tebeau was a homemaker. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. today at Immaculate 1219 South (Restaurant Make By Raymond Castile Special to the St. Charles Post It was one of the most closely guarded American military secrets of World War II, second only to the atomic bomb.

Air Force crewmen took an oath to protect its secrecy with their lives. On Saturday, it was sold to the highest bidder. The Norden bombsight was a mechanical analog computer used by bombardiers to determine the exact moment a bomb had to be dropped in order to accurately hit its target. In good weather, it could hit a 100-foot' target from an altitude of four miles. In 1945, this was considered amazing.

On Aug. 6 of that year, Maj. Thomas Ferebee used a Norden bombsight to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Today, Norden bombsights are no longer top-secret. But they are rare and valuable, according to aviation auctioneer Steve Douglas, of Douglas Auction and Liquidation in Kansas City.

Douglas auctioned a mint-condition Norden bombsight Saturday in the Confederate Air Force hangar at Smartt Field on Grafton Ferry Road. Many other aviation pieces were auctioned, including engines, air-' frame parts and memorabilia. The auction was the first such fund-raising event by the Missouri wing of the Confederate Air Force. The big-ticket auction items failed to live up to the auctioneer's expectations. The bombsight sold to a phone bidder in England for $2,100.

Douglas had expected it to sell for $3,000. Two Cessna planes failed to reach their reserve price of about $15,000 each. The owner of one, Sam Lai of Kansas City, was disappointed. "Cheap crowd today," he said. Douglas said he thought the auction results were good, considering that the auction was the CAF's first.

"People are leaving today with really good deals," Douglas said. "That will create a lot of good word of mouth, which will translate into more buyers and higher sales for next year's auction." Edgar Hentz, seller of the Norden bombsight, said, "You win some, you lose some. You don't want to be piggish about these things." Hentz said that during the war, the United States paid Norden Industries about $10,000 to $15,000 for each bombsight. Hentz, 72, is a retired Kansas insurance executive. He served in World War II as a B-17 bombardier in the 8th Air Force.

He used the Norden bombsight throughout the war. He hadn't thought of collecting them until the late 1980s, when he bought one that had been in a wreck at the bottom of Tampa Bay. "It was full of marine life," said Hentz, who decided to restore the bombsight. In his search for blueprints and spare parts, Hentz discovered an individual in Cleveland who had a supply of mint, sealed, unused Norden bombsights. Hentz bought several.

"When I opened the first one, there was a lump in my throat," said Hentz. "I hadn't seen one in so many years, and the condition was absolutely magnificent." Hentz has been selling the expensive bombsights ever since. Part of the proceeds from Saturday's auction will go to the Missouri Wing of the Confederate Air Force. Based in Midland, Texas, the Confed- BIRTHS Recent births in St. Charles County.

St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles Aug. 27 A girl born to Wendy Moore and Jeff Moore of St. Charles.

Sept. 12 A boy born to Kara Sohn of St. Peters and Eduardo Lopez of St. Charles. Oct.

5 A boy born to Andrea Feldewerth and Karnell Matthews of St. Charles. Oct. 11 A boy born to Patricia Luet-kenhaus and William Luetken-haus of Wentzville. Ours Best -4 fTCtMa Fusion I i Welded Vinyl! 1 -800-748-7960 Troy, mo 63379 1 computer lab, with computer already donated by a local Scout organization; a crafts shop; library; fitness and exercise room; a walking path; a health screening room; and more parking.

Siebold added that the center will have a patio that will be shaded from morning sun by mature pine trees, plentiful on the site. Fannin said, "We are absolutely delighted to be here at the window of opportunity for the city of O'Fallon to make senior citizens a priority." She said it was just in time "with the baby boomers moving their parents and grandparents into the area." The number of people over 60 in St. Charles County increased by 38 percent from 1990 to 1995, she said. Serving lunch is an important function of the senior center, Fannin said. "I can't explain what it does to my self-esteem to be able to provide for my children," she said.

Linda Weaver, 36, of Wentzville, was supporting herself and three children on $12,000 a year before entering the program. She now works as a registered nurse at the Lincoln County Hospital. About 60 families in St. Charles County are enrolled in the program. OBITUARIES Conception Catholic Church in Old Monroe.

Burial will be at the church's cemetery. Among survivors are five daughters, Bonnie L. Owens of St. Charles, Darlene O'Neill of Florissant, Sharon Dobbin of Austin, Texas, Jackie Clemens of Warrenton and LaVerne Grant of Chesterfield; a brother, Ben Pilgrim of Gerald, four sisters, Dorothy Hudder of Maryland Heights, Marion Cantoni of Berkeley, Flo Schulz of St. Louis and Lois Treadway of Overland; 21 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions can be made to the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society or to a charity of the donor's choice in care of T.E. Pitman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 248, Wentzville, Mo. 63385. OmarW.

Welker Omar W. Welker, 76, of St. Charles, died Tuesday (Oct. 21, 1997) at St. Joseph Health Center in St.

Charles. Mr. Welker was a farmer for 47 years in St. Charles County. The funeral service will be at 11:30 a.m.

today at Baue Funeral Home, 620 Jefferson Street, St. Charles. Burial will be at St. Charles Memorial Gardens, 3950 West Clay Street, St. Charles.

Among survivors are his wife, Marion M. Welker of St. Charles; a son, Gary Welker of St. Peters; two daughters, Shirley Keef and Karen Tweedy, both of St. Charles; a brother, Victor Welker of St.

Charles; seven grandchildren and a greatgrandchild. Memorial contributions can be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church in care of Baue Funeral Home, 620 Jefferson Street, St. Charles, Mo. 63301. Berniece Boyd Berniece Boyd, 74, of O'Fallon, died Wednesday (Oct.

22, 1997) at St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis. Mrs. Boyd was a homemaker. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m.

today at Assumption Catholic Church, 115 West Third Street, O'Fallon. Burial will be at the church's cemetery. Among survivors are her husband, James R. Boyd Sr. of O'Fallon; a son, James R.

Boyd Jr. of St. Charles; two daughters, Jamie Toland of O'Fallon and Mary K. Schneider of St. Peters; 11 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Masses or to the family in care of Baue Funeral Home, 311 Wood Street, O'Fallon, Mo. 63366. Darwin K. Gorham Darwin K. Gorham, 62, formerly ST.

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