Dad was a handy man.  I remember one Memorial Day when mom had talked dad into building a wooden privacy fence in the back yard.  It was intricate and took a jigsaw to build it.  Mom saw the design in Better Homes and Gardens.  Dad got his tools and called in a friend to help, put out the saw horses and built the fence that day.  He had the Indy 500 on the radio in between the whirr of the saw blades.  Later, there was pork steaks barbecuing on the grill.  Great memories!
And speaking of barbecuing, mom and dad always loved having company and entertaining.  Either the McCanns or Bullars would come over for a barbecue.  If the Eatons came over for dinner, it was going to be lasagna.  Between dad and Dick Eaton, they could put away a full pan of mom’s delicious specialty!  Aunt Bernice and Uncle Cecil often visited at our house or theirs.  Those were some of my best memories as there would be jokes told, games played and laughter until your sides would split!
Dad always enjoyed visiting with his family.  Every year for vacation, we would go to Jonesboro, Arkansas to visit Uncle Bob, Aunt Bert, Michael and Marcia.  The older cousins were off doing something else, so we might see them a little, but we were hanging out with Michael and Marcia the whole time.   We would spend hours jumping off the tall platform riding on the bag swing.  It was these wonderful visits that made us close to our extended family, a value that both mom and dad instilled in us.


I was blessed with a one-of-a-kind grandfather who I knew as Papa. He taught me so much! How to fish, how to shoot, how to work on cars, how to ride a three wheeler, how to soften honey among countless others. Well, maybe that last one isn't a great example. Most importantly, he showed me that you could find joy in just about any situation. I was always amazed at Papa's ability to make a friend out of a stranger no matter where he was. Memories of Papa will always bring a smile to my face.   

~Jake

I was the first-born child of Rich and Helen.  Mom told the stories about how dad would come home during his lunch hour when he worked at the mechanic shop, which was really only a half hour, just to see me when I was a baby.  So after driving there and back, he really only had about five minutes to hold me, but he loved being a dad.  He wasn’t very good with the diaper-changing.  One time he was watching me as a baby and instead of changing my dirty diaper, he drove over to Grandma Farber’s, carrying me in to her with his arms outstretched to keep the smell and any chance of dripping away from him, lol!  Dad always loved to coo and make faces not only to his own children, but to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  He would make squirrel-chattering sounds, bird calls and other animal sounds for ours and especially his amusement.
Dad called me lollipop when I was a little girl.  I had forgotten all about that, but it’s funny the things that come to your mind when you let it go back and wander.  So here are a few things…
We would go for rides in the country, one of the favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon.  I remember getting all of our trees and shrubs at Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elseberry, as if there were no nurseries in St. Louis.  He loved the drive out in the country, so any excuse would do.  We had Lombardi poplars planted along the fence in our back yard, a weeping willow right in the middle of the yard, white pines that came from seedlings at Pinecrest and a pussy willow tree in the front yard.  
(continued in another post)

One of the memories I have of my Dad is when he took me hunting as a child. I was only about 4 years old the first time he took me squirrel hunting with him. He had to carry me because I was too little to walk through the woods.  As I got older he didn’t have to carry me anymore instead I carried the squirrels that he shot. We also had many quail & rabbit hunting trips with my Uncle Cecil. Those times with my dad instilled in me a love for hunting and a love for just being in the woods. There were other things the two of us did together…working on a car or practicing a song he wanted to sing in church. By the time I was 8 years old I knew the name of every tool in his garage because I was his gopher. He taught me how to work on my cars and farm equipment.  A skill that I use every day while working on my farm. Our family always loved to sing together. When we were in the car, on the way to church, going to visit my grandparents or going on a vacation we didn’t have the radio on instead we were singing together. My mom and dad loved to sing in church something that I love to do also. When his voice got too weak to sing a solo I was his backup.…. but those times of sitting quietly in the woods with him are my special memory of my dad. 

When I think of my grandpa, I will always remember all the little things; the holidays, the jokes, the generosities. It's hard to pick just one memory, but I will always love remembering, and appreciate, all the times he helped me fix my old cars.  Back when I was in college and struggling to get by, I rarely had to worry about taking my car to a mechanic when it started acting up (which happened often), and he was a big reason for that. 

I remember spending hours with him under the hood, listening to the sounds of the engine to identify the issue and fix it. I remember being in awe of the number and the variety of tools that man had in his garage.  It seemed like no matter what car trouble I was having at the time; he had the tool we needed to fix it.  Though it did sometimes take him half an hour to dig through all of his toolboxes to find that particular tool. 

I learned a lot from him and still use many of the lessons he taught me to keep my vehicles running today.  I get a feeling of nostalgia for those days every time I lift the hood of my truck.

When I was little I had a book called 'Me and my Grandpa'. It had a place for a photo of us and someone had placed our photos in it. Throughout the book it shows us doing stuff together. It wasn't until I was older that I realized it wasn't literally a book about us, but just a fun book. I thought anyone could buy that book with us in it and it was all about stuff we did! It's a fun memory and a special book. We still have it in a box of special papers and things my mom is saving for us. I think that's really special. 

Big Papa, as our kids called him, was always giving us books and toys he'd pick up at yard sales. We have many of these books and toys still today. I often tell our much younger kids where they came from, as years ago these were little things he picked up when Ricky was in college still, and we "only" had 4-5 kids.  ;) There's one transforming type toy that's a hawk-man he picked up. It has wings that  retract and a cool beak that flips up or down. All of our kids have played with that thing (and fought over it)! lol. It's still getting some mileage! Such a kind hearted person he was to think of others the way he did, and his great grand kids were no exception. They were very happy with the fun toys they got. I enjoyed that a lot of the books were older....nursery rhymes, songs, old stories and fables. I enjoy reading them to the kids.  When Ricky and I started homeschooling he'd find yard sale books and ask us if they could be used for the kids as well. I love how such a simple kind gesture can stick with you, and how some of these little toys and books hold a place for him in the lives of our young kids and babies who won't remember meeting him. 

I have so many memories of my Uncle Rich...what a wonderful man...a loving caring family man..loved   Aunt Helen with all his heart, loved his children and then his grandchildren, his mom, and his siblings... loved his country but especially he loved his Lord...with his beautiful voice he sang praises to Him...
Had a problem with your car...Uncle Rich was the man with all the answers, and the tools to help..always
 willing to help..he had such a great sense of humor, could always make me laugh.  He was also the strongest man I knew, one time in his younger years when he lived in Overland, he said he could lift up a car..then we all went outside and sure enough, he lifted the car...What a great memory he had, any genealogy questions I had about his youth or his mom or his brothers and sisters, he knew the answer..I will miss him so much..For many years he and Aunt Helen would always call me on my birthday and sing Happy  Birthday to me, then when Aunt Helen went home to be with the Lord, he was always faithful in his remembering my birthday, either he would call and sing to me, or he and Glynelle would call.. 
I love you and miss you...(my favorite Uncle)  Uncle Rich...

The thing I remember most about my grandpa is that he had a generous heart. He would do anything for anyone. He loved all of his grandkids dearly and would always buy little gifts for us or do small things to help us. When I was 12 or 13 he bought all of his grandkids the best gift a kid could get, a pony. The pony lived on my parents farm and kind of became my pony (my younger brother was more interested in playing video games and my cousins lived in St. Louis and had little interest in coming out to the country). I loved that pony and my grandpa was so proud and excited to give it to his grandkids as a gift. He loved seeing our faces light up whether he gave us a small trinket or some candy he picked up for us at the store or the time he gave us a pony.  It made him happy to see us happy and to know that he had a part in it. 

When I was in college my grandpa had a roll of quarters for me every time I came home to visit. A roll of quarters for a college student is like gold, that was a month's worth of laundry (and maybe a trip or two to the dorm vending machines). Everyone else was sending me care packages with baked goods and other gifts which were all very nice and appreciated but it was my grandpa that always thought to give me quarters to do my laundry every time I saw him. It was such a simple gesture but something, 20 years later, I remember as such a thoughtful and sweet thing. 

He was a wonderful grandpa and will be dearly missed. 

Deanna

This is a letter that Jerry Wilson wrote to his Uncle Rich on March 14, 2018. 
I remember  when we lived on Purcell Ave in Pagedale.  I woke up one morning and there on one of our living room chairs was this big heavy overcoat. You had come in late the night before on leave from the Marines.  I was glad to see you.
While visiting with Grandma Farber on the farm in Allenton, I remember you bragging how you could carry a big log up the driveway on your shoulder.  Never saw you do that, but I sure was impressed with your strength. 
One time while we still lived on Purcell Ave, you were going to take me to some sporting event.  We stopped at a doughnut  shop and you bought me some kind of custard filled pastry.  Somehow, I got sick and we never made it to the sporting event.
When we moved to our new house on Lindbergh in St. Ann, we had a breezeway between the house and garage.  Dad remodeled it and made a bedroom for Mick and I. One cold winter night you slept in that room and renamed it the “freezeway”. That may have been the night it snowed so hard and you stayed with us because you could not make it home. That may also  have been the night you went to the Nazarene church with us and met your future bride. I think you were working for McDonnell Aircraft at the time.
I remember the day you picked me up from Pattonville High School in your ’51 Chevy.  You told me to “hang on” as you peeled out of the parking lot and did a speed-shift from first to second gear.  It was flawless! Man, that was cool!
While I was attending John Brown University, the choir came to St. Louis and performed at several churches. You and Aunt Helen came to hear us.  After the performance you let me borrow your 1950 Oldsmobile and take some of the choir members on a tour of St. Louis.
I remember when you had a beautiful ’55 or ’56 Mercury hard- top.  You never let me drive that one.
You were always my favorite uncle.  I am sure that I was always your favorite nephew!
Love you,
Plain ‘Ole  Jerry

What I remember most about my Uncle Rich growing up is a lifetime of loving; my grandmother(his Mom), his wife(Helen), my Mom(his sister), his children, grandchildren, and all of us.  He took care of his Mom by providing a place for her when they lived in Overland that I remember visiting.  He grew up in the church loving Jesus, and always put his family first.  He is with the Lord and surrounded by the love of family there and here.


The Schoenborns have been in my life since grade school. Always a loving giving family. My prayers are with my sweet friend Glynelle and family. Rich is back with your mom and I know they are happy. God bless you all!

We were blessed to live across the street from Rich and Helen for 23 years.  One time our son’s car needed work done on it and he told Rich he had to wait to get the part when he got paid.  Rich took him to the auto parts store, bought the part and told him how to fix it.  He said he could pay him back when he could.  He also used to throw change in the yard for my boys to find. 
He definitely was a good, kind man.

I remember Mr Schoenborn as a very caring and sweet man. He was very good to his children. Always a sweet man. God bless your family . 
Signed Yelaina and Wendle Findley

I am so sorry for your loss.  I would like to offer some comfort from the Bible.  Revelation 21:4 says  " And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”  This is what we have to look forward to. The Bible can offer us great encouragement.  For more comfort from the scriptures please visit JW.ORG.

AVIS DE DÉCÈS

Richard H. Schoenborn Sr.

23 juin 1930 – 24 mars 2018

Alexander-White-Mullen Funeral Home and Mt Lebanon Cemetery

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