Charles A. Buehler

Buehler, Charles A. age 96, died peacefully at St. Luke's Hospital on September 22, 2013. Charles was born on August 30, 1917 in Festus, MO. His mother, Bertha May Forister from Bonne Terre, married his father, Albert Buehler, whose family immigrated from Switzerland in the late 1800's Charles visited the family home in Lenk, Switzerland in 1983. Charles grew up in Festus with two brothers and many cousins, aunts and uncles -- at the time of his death he was the oldest living Buehler from Festus. After playing trumpet in the high school band for six years and the city band, he graduated and started work in the glass factory with his dad, delaying college for several years. Charles attended the Mizzou College of Engineering (1938-1941) finishing after the war in 1946. During World War II, Charles was sent to Harvard-MIT (January August 1942) to be trained in electronics and high-frequency radio for military work as part of the Signal Corps. In 1942, before being sent to the Pacific Theater, he married his college sweetheart, Georgana Page. Charles deployed to Fiji in December 1942 and served as lieutenant in charge of a unit of 45 men at a hilltop radar station. He later served in the Solomon Islands. He attained the rank of captain at discharge. In 1946 Charles began work at Western Electric in Buffalo, NY -at the same time that his daughter Jan was born in Tulsa, OK. While in Buffalo, his second daughter, Amy, was born in 1949. He left Buffalo in 1951 to move the family to Mehlville, MO to begin work at Monsanto. While there, he helped establish the R-9 Community Center in South County. He later moved to Clayton, MO where he served on the Moorlands Board of Agents. He lived in Clayton until his retirement in 1981. In 1985 he and Georgana lived in St. Charles, MO until Georgana's death in 1990. In 1991 Charles married Georgana's college roommate (and their longtime friend) Jean Featherstone. Charles and Jean lived in Kirkwood, MO until Jean's death in 2008. Charles loved to travel, including trips to Minnesota to spend time with two of his grandchildren and his in-laws, winters in Port Arkansas, TX; and several trips to Disneyworld, Mexico, Switzerland, New England, and Williamsburg. With Jean, he enjoyed cruises to Alaska, the Caribbean, and Hawaii, a cross-Canada train trip, and other trips to the Southeast and to visit Jean's family in Phoenix. Charles recognized how much his education at the University of Missouri helped him achieve success. In 2012 he established the Charles A. Buehler Memorial Scholarship in Mechanical Engineering. In 2013, three students will be helped with scholarship funds. Charles is preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Norbert and Raymond, and his grandson Eric. He is survived by his daughters, Jan Sandberg and Amy Warren; grandchildren Christina King, Charis Weinrich and Christopher Weinrich; brother Harold Buehler; nieces and nephews (Mark Buehler, Randy Buehler, Donald Buehler, Leeanne Parsons, Azile Francoise and Stephen Hansen and their families); and many cousins. Services: Visitation will be held at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester in Kirkwood on Thurs., Sept. 26, from 3-7 pm. Charles' life will be celebrated during a program at the Friendship Village Chesterfield Auditorium, 15201 Olive on Fri., Oct. 4, at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the University of Missouri, Charles A. Buehler Memorial Scholarship in Mechanical Engi neering, Office of Advancement, College of Engineering, W1006 Lafferre Hall, Columbia MO 65211 (573-882-2099). www.boppchapel.com