Donald F. Essen (1921-2013) St. Louis County, MO 1940
Donald F. Essen
August 19, 1921 - September 25, 2013
Essen, Donald F. "Don",
Upon his Wed. Sept. 25, 2013 death in his Ballwin home, Donald F. Essen received the joy of eternal life, joining his wife Patricia, and his parents F.X. and Amelia, an infant sister, brother David, and son-in-law Mark. Don’s surviving family-daughters Sue (Tony Kenworthy), Maud, Joanie, and Mary, and grandsons Nick and Ed-extend their sincere gratitude to the excellent ladies of Seniors Home Care for their love and devotion.
Blessed by the gift of faith, Don was a husband, father, businessman, churchman, and civic leader who played a significant role in the development of West St. Louis County.
Don was born in a stucco house in Ballwin, the city he helped incorporate and made his home for 92 years. A 1939 graduate of Maplewood High, he also graduated in 1943 as a Mechanical Engineer from Washington University-where his many activities included Chorus, Sigma Nu, and ROTC. From 1943 through 1946, Don served the US Army in the WWII European Theater, applying his engineering skills to protecting Antwerp from V-1 buzz bombs by pioneering statistical methods that became the model for all statistical sections in the command. He earned ten decorations and the rank of Captain in active duty and the rank of Major while serving in the Reserves from 1946 through 1961.
Don was working at Monsanto when he met his wife of 63 years, Pat Wolf, in the cafeteria. Encouraged by the gift of a kitchen appliance from Pat’s mother, Don and Pat were married in 1947, settled in Ballwin, and began a family.
Ever the visionary, after the war Don saw that people would want to own their own automobiles and, with the expansion of suburban living, move to West County. So on Oct. 29, 1949, Don took charge of the Ballwin Motor Company founded by his father in 1922 and developed it into Don Essen Chevrolet, which he operated until 1985. At the same time, with Pat’s support he worked tirelessly in the community to develop West County as an attractive place to live, worship, and do business. At St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, into which he was baptized in 1921 and where he taught the first adult bible study in 1948 and, with Pat, sang in the choir for 45 years, he chaired the 1955 fund-raising effort to build a new church for the growing congregation now called St. John. In 1957, Don co-founded the West County Chamber of Commerce (first President), which was instrumental in securing the bond issue that built Lafayette High School in 1960. As President of the Ballwin Rotary Club and member of the Chamber, Don helped lead a five-year effort to widen Manchester Road to four lanes by 1963. In 1979, Don received the St. Louis County League of Chambers of Commerce Outstanding Business Person of the Year Award.
Throughout his professional life, Don was active in the Greater St. Louis Chevrolet Dealers Association, the Chevrolet St. Louis Zone Dealer Council, the Missouri Automobile Dealers Association, the Greater St. Louis Automobile Dealers Association, Chevy II 20 Group, and the West County Automobile Dealers Association.
On his retirement in 1985, Don continued to be active in his church and community. He chaired the St. Louis County Planning and Zoning Commission from 1987 through 1991 and the Pond-Grover Study Committee whose approved study became the basis of the new City of Wildwood, incorporated in 1995. In 2000, Don and Pat were selected to be Mr. and Mrs. Ballwin Days. In April 2001, Don received the Engineering Alumni Achievement Award from Washington University. Don remained active with Concordia Seminary, The Gideons International, The West County Chamber of Commerce, The West St. Louis County Rotary Club, Ballwin Days and Historical Commission, German American Heritage Society, Washington University Alumni Association, St. Louis Sigma Nu Alumni Association, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and many others listed on the Schrader Funeral Home web site. On March 7, 1997 he told the Times West, “Helping to build up a viable commercial base in West County has meant more than selling cars. I believe in the community, the history, the people. I’ve always wanted to give something back.”
Funeral service at St. John, 15800 Manchester Rd., Ellisville on Sat., Oct. 5, 2013 at 1 PM, followed by interment with military honors at St. John's Lutheran Cemetery adjacent to the church.
Visitation at Schrader Funeral Home Family Center, 14960 Manchester at Holloway, Ballwin on Fri., Oct. 4, 2013 at 3-8 PM and at St. John, Sat. Oct. 5, 2013 at 12-1 PM.
If desired, contributions in Don's name may be made to The Salvation Army, Midland Division, 1130 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, MO 63139, to The Don and Pat Essen Endowed Scholarship Fund, Seminary Advancement, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105, or to the organization of your choice. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.
Descendant chart
1F. X. Essen
Amelia Essen
2 David Essen
2 Female Essen (died as infant)
2Donald F. Essen, b. August 19, 1921, Ballwin, MO, d. September 25, 2013
Patricia Wolf
m. 1947
3 Sue Essen
Tony Kenworthy
3 Maud Essen
3 Joanie Essen
3 Mary Essen
1940 United States Federal Census
Name Parent or spouse names Home in 1940 (City, County, State) Birth Year Birthplace Relation to Head of House
Francis Essen Amelia M Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1897 Missouri Head
Amelia M Essen Francis Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1898 Missouri Wife
Donald F Essen Francis, Amelia M Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1922 Missouri Son
David R Essen Francis, Amelia M Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1928 Missouri Son
Household Members: Name Age
Francis Essen 43
Amelia M Essen 42
Donald F Essen 18
David R Essen 12
1930 United States Federal Census
Name Parent or spouse names Home in 1930
(City, County, State) Birth Year Birthplace Relation to Head of House
Francis Essen Amelia Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1897 Missouri Head
Amelia Essen Francis Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1898 Missouri Wife
Donald Essen Francis,
Amelia Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1922 Missouri Son
David Essen Francis,
Amelia Bonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1929 Missouri Son
Alfred GoehleBonhomme, St Louis, Missouri abt 1903 Missouri Boarder
Household Members: Name Age
Francis Essen 33
Amelia Essen 32
Donald Essen 8
David Essen 1
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Alfred Goehle 27
More Replies:
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Re: Francis X. Essen of St. Louis County, MO 1900-1940
Charlene Reinhart 10/12/13
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Re: Patricia Elise Essen nee Wolf (1922-2011) St. Louis County, MO
Charlene Reinhart 9/28/13