Biele Family

Edited by Ann Chrissos

Otto Biele, Sr. and Rose Bacon Biele had six children:  Omar married Hazel Sappington; Ella married Jose; Ora married Palmer; Ann married Mallard; Otto, Jr. married Leona Kessels: and Ralph married Verneal Manger.  The family attended Antioch Baptist Church and the children attended the Chesterfield School.  The family shopped at Mr. Kroeger’s store.

Otto Biele, Jr. (b. 29 Dec. 1912, d. 14 Feb. 1984) married Leona Kessel (b. 22 March 1912 in Pond, Missouri) at the LaSalle Institute in Glencoe, Missouri on 21 April 1934.  They had four children.  Otto, Jr. worked at the WPA Camp during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency.  Then Albert Wilmes employed Otto, Jr. to deliver potatoes to the Holmans Produce Market on Third Street in St. Louis, Missouri.  Otto eventually started his own business building dikes on the river and hauling gravel for customers’ driveways.  Later he worked at the Atlas Power Company, the Granite City Engineers and finally became Fire Chief for the Chesterfield Fire Department.

                                         
The flood of 1943 in Old Town Chesterfield reached the grain elevators.  In the background is the home of Otto Biele, Sr.  A dog is standing on a bale of straw riding along with the flood waters.

Courtesy of Leona Biele.

                                        The service station was owned by Omar Biele.  It was located on the north side of Highway 40 near the railroad tracks.  Victor Koester is on the right and Ralph Biele is on the left.

Courtesy of Leona Biele.

 

Source
Leona Biele interviewed by Marian Hackmann and Arland Stemme on 21 June 1994