Question: What is some advice you would give to younger people? Answer: Save your money! I’m from a family of blue-collar Italians from The Hill and it was all about saving money and education. When I got married, we didn’t have any money and I’m very organized, so I made a spreadsheet and everything to keep track of all our utilities and we did live by that. And Wendell wasn’t as much for that as I was, but I could keep him on track. And if he balked, I just […]

Question: What made you decide you wanted to get into law and where did that take you? Answer: When I was about seven years old, my grandfather on my mother’s side was a lawyer. He was a terrific person. I really admired him and I decided at that point I wanted to be a lawyer. I had no idea what lawyers did, but I wanted to be like him. When I first started studying law, I found it fascinating. The first course I took in law school was criminal law […]

Question: Why did you change careers after spending some time as a teacher? Answer: When I went to school I majored in mathematics and business, so things like accounting and salesmanship interested me. I remember I once set up an accounting system for my parents, who were in the insurance business at the time. I ended up becoming a teacher for a while, but when my husband Bob asked me if I wanted to keep teaching or go into the business we eventually started together, I decided I wanted to […]

Question: What are your favorite hobbies? Answer: Oh, I like to read a lot. In fact, last year, I read seventy-five books. This year, I’m kind of behind because, since moving here, I started playing a lot of games, so that takes up my time. I’ve been playing rummikub, ponytail canasta and Chinese mahjong with other people. I’ve met quite a few new ladies. Before, when we lived in our villa, a lot of evenings, I stayed at home, so that’s why I read and I don’t like to watch […]

Question: You mentioned the 4-H Club was important to you. How so? Answer: Growing up, I belonged to a 4-H club. I was shy and wasn’t really sure what I was going to do in 4-H, but someone encouraged me and so I raised chickens, of all things. I got a little more interested from there, so I continued with it for several years and enjoyed it immensely. I actually met my wife Gloria through 4-H, as well. We were on a train to Chicago for a 4-H event when […]

Question: If you could have one special talent, what would it be? Answer: I would have liked to be a pro baseball player in center field. I never played in high school because I had to go to work, but I played a lot of amateur ball. I belonged to the Southside Panthers for a long time. We had uniforms and everything. One of my biggest hobbies has been collecting baseball cards. At one time, I had over 40,000. And I’m a big Cardinal fan! I worked at the ballpark, […]

Question: What initially made you want to work in construction and once you were doing it, what did you enjoy about it? Answer: When I was in high school, I realized I liked to build things and that type of stuff. Being able to build something, what it took to build it, and then after it was built – getting to see what you did was gratifying. I came to like it because it was something new all the time. The longest I was ever on one job was two […]

The senior living community has adopted two dogs to boost residents’ moods during the pandemic and beyond.   St. Louis, MO. (December 1, 2020) – Friendship Village Chesterfield has two new four-legged visitors at the senior living community, 15201 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield, MO 63017. The dogs are part of its new pet therapy program, which is designed to provide companionship and bring smiles to residents’ faces during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The dogs’ visit not just the residents, but also the staff members who look forward to spending time […]

The St. Louis area real estate market is booming!  It is a seller’s market with houses often selling before going on the market and often above asking price. The trend is expected to continue through 2021. Mitch Beuke is a Friendship Village Chesterfield Preferred Realtor, assisting future residents comfortably market and sell their homes.  “I’m cautiously optimistic that the market will remain strong. Right now, there is less competition for sellers, serious buyers who have little to consider, and pent up demand backlogged from months of low inventory. This demand […]