Anthony Clinton Pointer Baby Picture
Anthony Clinton Pointer was born November 28, 1888, the 13th child of George Washington Pointer and Margaret Lamb Pointer. His birth and early life was on a farm located near the College Hill Baptist Church in Osage County Missouri. The life must have been one of hard work on the farm. Water came from a well with a hand pump and there was no electricity. In the 1900 censure he is listed as an 11 year old living at home.
Anthony Pointer birthplace Osage County abt 1980
By 1912 we know he is in St. Louis and met Lena Jost on Wednesday evening April 3, 1912. They courted for over a year and were married on June 25, 1913. On June 26 1913 when applying for the marriage license they are living at 2550 Lafayette. In 1917 he is a metal polishers working at Buck Steve and Range Company at 3500 North Second Street in St. Louis. In 1918 he is listed as a metal polisher living on Caroline Street in St Louis. In 1919 they moved to 4894 Margaretta in North St. Louis and live there until 1922 when they moved to Jennings Road and then Idelwild in Jennings Missouri.
Anthony with Ralp and Virginia abt 1919
When the depression hit Tony was working for Artistic Furniture in University City. They kept cutting his pay until it cost more for him to get to work then he made in a day. He then quit and dug ditches. The family was lucky in that the owner of Stammer Grocery let Tony run a bill through the depression reaching a total of close to $500.00. When Tony returned to work he paid the entire amount back. In the 40's Tony help organize the Metal Polishers Union in St. Louis and was instrumental in keeping it out of the mafia.
Anthony and Lena retuned briefly to Caroline Street In late 1940 and then they bought a house on Gerling Place in Overland
Tony celebrating birthday at work
In 1963 for the occasion of their 50th Anniversary Tony wrote a song for Lena
TO LEE FROM TONY
Down the stream of life together,
We are sailing side by side.
Hoping some bright day to anchor,
Safe beyond each surging tide.
Today our sky is cloudless,
But tonight clouds may unfold;
And the storms may gather ore us,
Will you love me when I'm old?
When my hair will shame the snow-drifts,
And my eyes will dimmer grow.
I would lean upon some loved one
in the valley as I go.
I would ask of you a promise
Worth to me a world of gold.
Tis only this I'd ask you,
Will you love me when I'm old?
Tony and Lena's Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary
One of Tony's achievements as a metal polisher was being one of the people that worked on the Golden Doors on the Our Lady of the Snows Shrine in Bellville Illinois. He was a member of the Clifton Heights Lodge no. 520 AF&AM (Mason) and Metal Polishers International Local # 13.
Our Lady of the Snow Shrine
Tony Died on May 11th 1980 and was cremated. The Funeral was at White Mullen's Funeral Home in Ferguson Missouri on Wednesday May 14, 1980 at 2 PM. His ashes are interned in the Valhalla Chapel of Memories.
Chapel of Memories Valhalla Cemetery
