I don’t have a new photo for you today, but this is the 500th post on the site. That has to count for something, right?
If you want something to do, tell us your favorite (or least unfavorite) part of having a website for our family.
Uncle Vernon passed away at about 11:00am today (Friday, January 6, 2023) at De Paul Hospital in St. Louis. Mary Jane and Ron were at his side.
He went to the hospital Sunday with what turned out to be a combination of pneumonia, Covid and kidney failure, and went on hospice care on Wednesday.
Vernon’s funeral and visitation will be on Tuesday, January 10, at Grace Lutheran Chapel (10015 Lance Drive, Bellefontaine Neighbors Missouri 63137). Visitation will be from 9am to 11am.
The funeral will begin at 11:00 with Pastor Nathan Ruback officiating. Following the service, there will be a luncheon at the church.
You are invited to attend the burial at Laurel Hill Memorial Gardens (2000 Pennsylvania Ave, St. Louis, Missouri 62133). We will travel in a funeral procession from the church to the cemetery following the luncheon.
Vernon Paul Ernest Sommerer, 96, of Bissell Hills, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Missouri, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 6, 2023 at DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, MO. Vernon was predeceased in 2007 by his wife of 55 years, Florence Josephine Wakefield Sommerer. His family included their only child, Mary Jane Piazza and her husband Ronald Piazza of Richmond, Massachusetts, grandsons Ian and Jordan Piazza both of Boston, MA and granddaughter Olivia Piazza of San Francisco. He is predeceased by his parents Adolph Mathias Sommerer and Theresa A. M. Erhardt Sommerrer, and 9 of his 11 siblings and their spouses: Elizabeth (and Justin) Williams, Lillian (and Theodore) Kuegele, Erhardt “Bud” (and Alma) Sommerer, Felix (and Carol) Sommerer, Marjorie (and Edgar) Beck, Beatrice (and Fred) Putnam, Mahlon Sommerer, Cleopha Howard, Naomi (and Louis) Vetter, and brother in law Ralph Sommerer. He is survived by two siblings: Loyola “Lolly” Sommerer and Lloyd (and Jane) Sommerer, sisters-in-law Marylynn Sommerer and Dorothy Stubinger, 32 nieces and nephews and countless other relatives, church and neighborhood friends.
Vernon led a remarkable life, He was born at home in Jefferson City Mo, the 6th of 12 children, in October 1926, where he grew up doing every aspect of farming and supporting his family through the Great Depression and WWII. At 19 years old, he left the farm and was proud to serve in the US Army in Tokyo, Japan from 1946-7 as a military police in the Japanese War Crimes Trials after the conclusion of WWII. He returned to Missouri where he was fortunate to work at the General Motors’ Chevrolet assembly plant in North St. Louis for 39 years till his retirement in 1988. As a member of “The Greatest Generation,” he inspired all with his stories of hard work, dedication to family, church, and country, which he recalled with tremendous clarity. He was a polite, humble man, who’s actions spoke louder than his words.
Vernon and Florence were lifetime, sustaining members of Berea Lutheran Church then Grace Lutheran Church in North St. Louis County Missouri, carrying out his Missouri Synod Lutheran heritage and faith. He played no sports except cards. He was self-educated through books and his natural curiosity for all people and things. His interests centered around his family, friends, church, neighborhood, and tending his home and vegetable gardens, while always being of service to others. His goal was to visit all 50 United States, and after retirement enjoyed driving trips to his family in New England, as well as Alaska, the Caribbean, Panama, Greece, Scandinavia, Russia and a Grand Tour of Europe.
In 2008, Vernon was blessed to meet the acquaintance of Mrs. Wanda McCabe, a widow with whom he kept company, traveled, enjoyed Sunday games of Kings’ Corners, and helped one another in their advancing years.
Visitation and funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at Grace Lutheran Chapel starting at 9 a.m., with visitation in the church narthex between 9 and 11 a.m. His funeral, officiated by Pastor Nathan Ruback, will begin at 11 a.m., followed immediately by a luncheon by the Ladies of the church. Following the luncheon, all are invited to Vernon’s commitment and military burial at Laurel Hill Memorial Gardens, 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue at St. Charles Rock Road, St. Louis, MO.
Memorials may be made to the encouragement and continuance of Christian education for young lives through Grace Chapel Lutheran School, 10015 Lance Drive, Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO 63137.
Well, another family reunion is in the bag. I’ll write a little bit about what I thought, and maybe you can add some comments as well. We’ll look back at this post next spring when we are setting stuff up for next year.
First of all, it was wonderful seeing you all again. We should definitely keep doing that. After that, in no particular order…
If there are any other notes for next year, please add them in the comments below.
Below are my recollection (and brief notes) of things we decided after church on Sunday:
Was there anything else from the meeting that I forgot?
Grow your audience and build a profitable online business.
Your course helped me to grow my email list from 500 to over 10,000 subscribers—all within 3 months!
I started using your email marketing technique and it helped me to make $5,000 more a month without any extra work!
I was skeptical but I found that your system had multiplied my revenue by 40% after just the first quarter!
Contact us today
You can reach us on our contact page or by calling us at 1.123.456.7891
Our team has a combined experience of over 60 years.
We offer a 30-day return policy for all unused items. For more information, please view our terms of service.
My mom, Aunt Jane to some of you, sent this to me:
Dear family,
I talked to Mark Nolte at Heit’s Point today. If you have unused Thrivent projects you can turn them in before the end of 2020 to be used between January and April of 2021. To use them for Heit’s Point, mark it as a servant project. Your part will be coordinating and planning. He has had several go through as “Help with Volunteering” for whatever is needed. Set the use as supplies and an amount of $250.00. You can even change the address to:
Mark Nolte
Heit’s Point Lutheran Ministries
28345 Heit’s Point Ave.
Lincoln, Mo. 65338
That way, you will not have to get the project to him (it will be sent right to Heit’s point). If you do not want to use it for Heit’s Point, find another worthwhile project and submit for. It has to be done before the end of December.
And I would just add that if don’t live in Missouri, it is probably easier to pick a local charity to use the free $500 dollars that everyone with a Thrivent Insurance policy or Retirement Account has.
At the start of the Summer, one of the things that you said on the surveys was that you want to donate to Heit’s Point whether we had the family reunion or not. Let’s make that happen!
Double your gift. Some of your aunts, uncles and cousins have decided step forward and double whatever the rest of the family gives up to $4,000.00. If you give $100, they will pitch in enough to make that to $200. If you give $500, they will make it $1,000. So let’s really stick it to these guys and make them double a lot of money. There is a time limit, we have until the end of September for donations to be doubled.
How much should you give? Some people suggested what it normally takes for your family to participate in the Family Reunion: money for travel, food, lodging, shared expenses, Sunday morning offering, and so forth. But the blessings I receive from seeing you all far exceed that amount. And besides, Uncle Lloyd told me I should give more than that, and you’re suppose to listen to your Dad. Give what you can. Give as you have been blessed.
How can I give? You can make a donation to Heit’s Point in a number of different ways:
What will the money go for? The Spitz Center is about 25 years old and needs a new roof. We make use of the Spitz Center every year, so that seemed like a good spot to put our money. If you have other ideas, feel free to designate your gift for something else or just as a general donation. It’s all good.
Want to be a doubler? If you are feeling especially generous and want to be part of the group of aunts, uncles and cousins who are doubling the amounts, let me know. This is not an open ended commitment. You still get to decide what you are blessed to give.
What if I don’t want anyone to know how much I give? First of all, I’m the only one who will know. The aunts, uncles and cousins who are doubling the amounts don’t want to know who gave what. They just want to know the total amount. But if you don’t want me to know, that’s fine. You should still give. It’s still a great cause to give to even without the amount being doubled.
How else can I help? First of all, talk to your family members. Encourage everyone to participate. Ask your sons and daughter or your siblings if they have made a donation yet. And talk to family members who might not have seen this because they don’t read the website or email.
Is my gift tax deductible? Yes. Heit’s Point is a 501(c)(3) organization and, if you use itemized deductions when you file your taxes, this donation is tax deductible.
Did I forget anything? Do you have any other questions? Just let me know and I’ll get the information for you.