Author Archives: Jim Merkel

With just two weeks until my release-signing party, KMOX radio personality Johnny Rabbitt (Ron Elz) will interview me briefly by phone tonight around 9:40. It’s exciting to me because I used to listen to him on KXOK in the 60s. We had a good time talking this afternoon at his home in St. Louis Hills when I droppedContinue reading “9/2/2012 On the Air With Johnny Rabbitt – Two Weeks to Go”

This is worth getting up in the middle of the night to write about. With just 15 days to go to my release/signing party, Beer, Brats, and Baseball: St. Louis Germans has gotten its first media notice. OK, it was just in yesterday’s edition of the Suburban Journals’ internal newsletter, Working Together. Nonetheless, it’s aContinue reading “2:55 a.m. 9/1/2012 Our first media notice – 15 days to go”

 I won’t have to worry about what to wear at the release party for Beer, Brats, and Baseball from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Feasting Fox Restaurant, 4200 S. Grand Blvd. I tried on my complete lederhosen outfit today at work. My coworker Ramona took time out from celebrating her 50th birthday toContinue reading “8/31/2012 What I’ll wear – 16 days to go”

Lorraine picked up 240 books to sell, plus my own free copies. Now I’ve got to sell the 240 at my release/signing party from 2-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Feasting Fox, a presigning from 6-11 p.m. Sept 15 at the German Cultural Society’s Donau-Park at 5020 West Four Ridge Road in House SpringsContinue reading “8/30/2012 Picked Up Books with Seventeen Days to Go”

If a German dies in St. Louis, Lansing Hecker often is the one called upon to often does paperwork for Germans here. Without that help, they may have to go to the German consul general in Chicago. The fifth-generation German-American often is a ceremonial leader at local German events. He’ll say a few words duringContinue reading “8/29/2012 Berlin’s Man in St. Louis – 18 Days to Go”

The brewing magnate Adolphus Busch, shown at left, wasn’t the only member of his family to run a brewery in the St. Louis area. Adolphus’ older brother opened one in Belleville, Ill. in 1834. In 1848, George opened a malt house and brewery in St. Louis called both Busch’s Brewery and Buena Vista Brewery. AnotherContinue reading “All in the Family”

As the new-book smell wafts from the just-delivered copies of Beer, Brats, and Baseball: St. Louis Germans party-goers may wonder where they should eat on Sunday, Sept. 16, the day of my release/signing party at the Feasting Fox, 4200 S. Grand Blvd. Actually, the Feasting Fox has a succulent Sunday brunch until 2 p.m., whenContinue reading “8/28/2012 A dining suggestion with 19 days to go”

Twenty days before the release/signing party for Beer, Brats, and Baseball: St. Louis Germans, the first copy of the book arrived in the Reedy Press office. It looks marvelous. Soon you’ll be able to buy one through Amazon or at a bookstore. But you know you don’t want to miss out on the fun ofContinue reading “8/27/2012 The Book Arrives – 20 Days to Go”

… When you walk into my release/signing party. A big two-foot-by-six-foot welcome sign. It’s not too far away. Put it on your calendar. That’s 2-5 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Feasting Fox, 4200 S. Grand. You can buy Beer, Brats, and Baseball: St. Louis Germans on Amazon, but then you’d miss all the funContinue reading “8/23/2012 Here’s what you’ll see”

By bringing about 750 traditionalist Lutherans from Saxony to Missouri in 1838-39, Martin Stephan struck a blow for religious liberty. Those Lutherans would form the basis for what became The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. But Stephan himself soon was accused of sexual immorality, misusing funds, teaching false doctrine, and ignoring fellow leaders. He was expelled fromContinue reading “Frontier Justice”