Margie took the winning photo in June 2018. It shows Earl Stephens of Arnold driving a Ford T-Bucket during the 2018 Herculaneum all-school reunion parade, accompanied by a grandson and a great-grandson.
Robin Potter, 68, of High Ridge took second place for the photo she submitted of her father, Gordon Potter and herself on a Honda Dream motorcycle. She said the photo was taken in the 1960s in North Little Rock, Ark., when she was about 14 years old.
Kevin Carle, 65, of Festus won third place for a photo of him and his wife, Peggy, with their newborn, Jennifer, and 18-month-old daughter, Stephanie, in front of a 1985 Ford Bronco II they purchased in the fall of 1985.
Don Allen of Eureka took a picture last fall of his 1967 Oldsmobile 442, which he restored and drives around Pacific and Eureka.
Rick Conway, 48, and Karen Conway, 47, both from Pevely, sent a picture of themselves in August 2004 on a 2001 Harley Davidson Road King in Spearfish, S.D. “We have ridden this motorcycle from coast to coast all over the USA,” Karen said. “We always went places with the very best people too, our dear friends.”
Carol Dorlac Sanguinette-How, 75, of Festus can be seen on the left with her friend, Debbie Boyer Williams, in this picture taken in the summer of 1967 by Debbie’s brother, Dwayne Boyer. The duo sit on Carol’s first car – a 1963 Corvair convertible – at the former Teamsters Pool and Golf Course Grounds in Pevely. “It was a one-owner car and in perfect shape,” Carol said. “I had never seen it until my dad brought it home and said he found me a car. It was late summer 1966 and I had just turned 18. He found it and helped me purchase it, but I had a whoppin' monthly payment of way less than a hundred dollars. Tons of fun and great memories, and I've always regretted selling it two years later!”
Richard Kurtzeborn, 77, of Imperial is in the seat of a 1923 Model T Ford Roadster in this 1973 picture taken by Bill Coby at the I-55 raceway in Pevely. Richard built the car himself with the “help from many friends.” “This car brought considerable revenue to (the raceway) through match races, fundraising events, advertising, etc.,” Richard said.
Don Cashman, 73, of Herculaneum took this picture in October 2023 of his 2003 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 50th Anniversary Edition. “A dream come true since 1970, when my future brother-in-law had a Corvette,” Don said.
Carol Dorlac Sanguinette-How, 75, of Festus is behind the wheel of her 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible that her husband bought for her birthday in 2022. “He knew how much I had always longed to have my first car back, a Corvair convertible, which I sold in 1968,” Carol said. “It just so happened this 1984 convertible was very close to the same color as my Corvair, and the white upholstery was exactly what I had in the Corvair! We have enjoyed taking our grandchildren with us to ride in the 2022 and 2023 Twin City Christmas parades! We love our ride and enjoy doing the local Main Street Cruises. Most importantly, it means the world to me that my hubby cared so deeply to bring me such joy!”
Marnie Blankenship, 73, of Hillsboro can be seen at 20 years old in this May 1971 picture taken by her friend, Sylvie, in Palm Springs, Calif. Marnie and Sylvie bought the 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie 500 for a total of $150. “This car was black inside and out with no air conditioning – in Palm Springs!” Marnie said. “But I loved that car and was so thankful that Sylvie left it to me when she flew back to Fargo to be with her boyfriend. And I was lucky enough to find mechanic friends to help keep her running. The only bad memory was when we first got the car and passed a cop in the road. We smiled and waved, and he pulled us over! Turned out our tags were expired! Lessons learned the hard way. And, just in case, I have never waved at a cop since that day.”
Larry Calvert, 78, of Festus sent in a picture of himself in 2008 at age 62 with his customized 1959 Chevrolet Apache at the Texaco station in De Soto.
Larry Calvert, 78, of Festus sent in a picture of his 1977 Chevrolet Vega, left, that he raced in 1992 at age 44 at the I-55 raceway in Pevely. Larry said he earned first place in the Super Pro category against a 1957 Chevrolet, completing the 1/4-mile race in 9.7 seconds, reaching 140 miles per hour.
Larry Calvert, 78, of Festus sent a picture of his first car, which he bought new in 1965 at age 19 for $2,600 in Berkley. The car was a 1965 Chevelle SS four-speed with 350 horsepower.
Tom Tenholder, 82, of Eureka sent a picture of himself and Barb Tenholder seated in their 1985 Rolls Royce Corniche Convertible, which Tom said was restored by Schwarz Automotive in Brentwood. “Same car driven by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin,” he said.
Victor Gummersheimer, 81, of Eureka sent a picture taken by his daughter, Melissa DeHart, in 2002 in Cape Girardeau. Victor stands behind his 1969 Mercury Monterey four-door sedan he bought in Belleville, Ill., in June 1969. “It’s still parked in my garage with 170,000 miles,” Victor said.
Carla Sohn, 61, of Festus sent a picture taken by her mother around 1967 at their Arnold home. Carla is about 3 or 4 and can be seen with her father, Jim; dog, Onie; and the family car. “This picture was left to me in my parents’ things,” Carla said.
Carla Sohn, 61, of Festus sent a picture taken in 1980 by her brother, Jim, of herself at age 17. “This was my first car: a 1967 Camaro that I received for my birthday,” Carla said.
Rick Conway, 67, of Pevely sent a picture of his all original 1978 MGB Roadster, which has ranked up 60,000 miles.
Tom Meier, 75, of Wildwood bought his 1973 Buick Riviera, which he still owns at less than 15,000 miles, in September 1972. “Back then, the next year models came out in September of the previous year,” Tom said. “I always looked for September to roll around and drive to all the dealerships to check out the new models. It was great back then when you could tell what year a car was because they changed every year. Not like today when a 2014 looks identical to a 2023.”
Elmer Mills of Festus bought two Corvairs when they first came out, one a 1960 model and the next a 1965, which can be seen in this picture sent by his daughter, Lana Gibbons of De Soto. “This car was used as his family car – he even added a trailer hitch on this car,” Lana said. “He hauled chain link fencing to install around the family home. By 1964, he had a wife, (the late) Betty, of six years and three small children. He and his family made several trips in this family car out west to Idaho to visit his brother. Over the years, this car has become a keepsake. The car has 105,000 miles, he drives it to local car shows and enjoys the folks who’ve never seen a Corvair or a car with the engine in the rear of the car.” According to Lana, Elmer worked for General Motors for 32 years and has been retired for 37 years.
Patrick West of De Soto sent a picture of himself and a Marilyn Monroe impersonator in front of his 1951 Mercury, which he bought in 1993. “It was sitting on a Cadillac Coupe DeVille frame and motor, and it had a slot behind the driver side door that used a credit card to open the door,” Patrick said. “We named it ‘Merc DeVille.’ I wish I never sold it, but we all usually have seller’s remorse.”
Steve Cook, 70, of Wildwood took this 1971 picture at his grandparents’ house in Florissant of his grandfather, Roy Koesterer, and younger brother, Dave Cook, in his 1956 Chevrolet Corvette. “I bought it for $300 with my own money earned from working at a Gulf gas station,” Steve said. “I had stripped 13 coats of paint (from the car) by hand sanding. I was the only kid at Hazelwood High School with a Corvette. I wish I could buy it today for 100 times what I paid for it then!”
Steve Cook, 70, of Wildwood took this 1974 at a Four Seasons lodge on the Late of the Ozarks. His 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible can be seen, along with Andrea (Gibson) Cook, standing on the left with her back to the camera, Steve’s wife of almost 50 years. “I bought the car (for $2,150) in 1972 with money from sale of my 1956 Corvette,” Steve said. “The car is so memorable to me because I met my wife-to-be while cruising Steak ’n Shake in Florissant.”
Steve Cook, 70, of Wildwood sent a picture taken by his wife, Andrea Cook, in 1985 at their home in Chesterfield. Steve, then 31, stands with his modified 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe. “I bought this car for $800 as a totally wrecked basket-case in 1984,” Steve said. “I built the car entirely myself, including painting it in the driveway with a $29 Craftsman spray gun. The picture is special because I had just finished the final paint buff and applied the pinstripes.”
John Coughlin, 67, of Eureka and his son, Sam Coughlin, can be seen in this picture sent by John’s daughter, Kendra Coughlin. John bought the 1973 Dodge Dart, which was assembled at the Chrysler plant in Fenton, in 2020 for his retirement and worked on it with Sam.
Carol Shepherd, 73, of Mapaville sent a picture from 1973 of her 1972 Chevy Nova Super Sport, which she bought for $2,175. “I loved this car because it was so sporty,” Carol said.
Robert Deuschle, 73, of Eureka sent a picture of himself and his wife, Joan, driving away shortly after their wedding on June 22, 1974, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Allenton. “We had just got married that evening, and friends had decorated the car with ‘just married’ signs and loud beer cans tied to the back of the car,” Robert said. The car was a 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible bought in Fenton a year before the wedding. “We enjoyed this car for many years after.”
Barbara Crawford, 81, of Festus sent a picture she took at Tower Grove Park in St. Louis in October 1964 of her late husband, Jim Crawford, with his 1964 Chevrolet two-door hardtop. “It was our first new car and (Jim’s) favorite ride,” Barbara said. The car was bought in 1963 at Big 4 Chevrolet and won several drag race trophies, which can be seen in the picture.
Barbara Crawford, 81, of Festus sent a picture taken at Harrison Elementary School in Vinita Park of her late husband, Jim Crawford, with his 1969 SS Chevrolet. “It was Jim’s favorite drag racer, and it won several trophies at various drag strips in the area,” Barbara said. “In 1974, our oldest son was turning 16, and it was decided that we would sell (the car) before that occurred. The car was bought in 1968 at Placke Chevrolet.
Ron Reiter, 59, of De Soto sent a picture taken by Sandy Moltor of himself at 23, driving a 1972 Monte Carlo, with Greg Reiter hanging onto the window of the car.
Lisa and Doug Basham of Hillsboro sent a picture of their daughter, Kendall Joyce, and son-in-law, Connor Joyce, on their wedding day, June 10, 2016. The newlyweds pose with Doug’s 1954 Bel Air at the former Pevely Dairy silos. “Both of our children – Shane Basham, 32, and Kendall, 29 – came home from the hospital in this car after they were born,” Lisa said. “Doug has owned this car since he was 13 years old. He is currently 58.”
Betty Keehn of Byrnes Mill sent a picture taken in July 1964 by Betty Milne at the Milne family farm in Dittmer of her 1960 Chevrolet Corvette convertible. “It was my first car,” Keehn said. “My dad helped me get a bank loan with the understanding that I would make all the payments. I did!”
Rick Maloney, 54, of Imperial took this picture about two years ago at the De Soto Car Cruise of his car, a 1966 GT Fastback, and mother’s car, a 1968 GT Fastback. “Both cars were bought and restored as family projects,” Rick said.
James Johnston, 46, of Hillsboro sent a picture he took in the fall of 2018 of his 1970 Chevy Nova, which he got at age 19. It is the first car his dad and he built together, James said, and each time he drives it, he remembers all the things his dad taught him.
Kevin Carle, 65, of Festus took this picture in the fall of 1978 near Red Bud, Ill., of his 1977 Pontiac Firebird Formula with a T-top and a 400 four-barrel engine. “It was my first car that I bought and paid for on my own – the price tag was $6,800,” Kevin said. “My girlfriend loved it and, beginning in August 1977, during the warm months, she would sit back in the passenger seat with the T-top off and her feet on the dashboard, catching some rays as I drove! That alone made it a great ride. She became and still is my wife.” Kevin also notes the car’s snow tires in the picture. “People our age with rear wheel drive back then remember the winter of ’78-’79.”
Kevin Carle, 65, of Festus took this picture in the spring of 1980 in south St. Louis County of his 1968 Ford Mustang 200, which he got with his dad in 1968. “It was my first car when I got my license in 1975, and in 1977 my parents sold it to my girlfriend's parents,” Kevin said. “She began to drive it in the spring of 1978, so I would see it all the time. It became a special ride for both of us.”
Carol Greife, 68, of House Springs sent a picture taken on the Foothills Parkway in Townsend, Tenn., outside of the Smoky Mountains, of her 1981 Fiat Spider. “My husband and I bought a 1977 Fiat Spider shortly before we married in 1978,” Carol said. “It was a daily driver for about five years when it developed serious rust and mechanical issues. We had hopes of restoring it someday, but it was too far gone. I found this car at a local automotive shop, and my husband bought it. When our youngest started his senior year in high school, we had the car restored, getting ready for retirement. It was done in time for our 41st wedding anniversary when this photo was taken.”
Lawrence Sigel of Fletcher sent a picture taken in the early 1980s of his first car, a 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which he bought in 1976 when he turned 16. “I had saved all my money from cutting grass and shoveling snow starting when I was 11 years old,” Lawrence said. “I had that car until 1985 when I sold it all the way back for cash!”
Barbara Christensen of Imperial sent a picture her husband, Larry Christensen, took in 2008 at Buchanan’s Mudfest in Robertsville. Their son, Steve, then 40, can be seen inside his 1997 Chevy pickup, which his brothers, Kenny, then 49, and Chris, then 46, also used. “This memory is exceptional because, in 2011, we lost our son, Kenneth ‘Kenny’ Lee Christensen,” Barbara said. “(Our sons) always loved to get together and do things.”
Melvin Oberkrom, 77, of Cedar Hill sent a picture taken by Margo Oberkrom in 2003 at the family farm of their 1985 Chevy Monte Carlo SS. They bought the car from someone in De Soto, who had kept it in the basement garage for 10 years. “We bought it because our previous ’85 Monte Carlo was stolen from my place of employment during the daytime in city of St. Louis after driving it over 20 years,” Melvin said. “My previous ’85 Monte, my kids called ‘Precious.’ I wouldn’t let them drive it.”
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Earl Stephens of Arnold won the $100 top prize in the My Best Ride photo contest for his pho…
