Franklin County Missouri Obituaries - Andrew Warren "Babe" Amelung 1997: Pacific, Franklin County, Missouri AMELUNG, ANDREW W. "BABE", of Pacific, Missouri died Monday afternoon, March 31, 1997 in his 80th year. Beloved husband of Alice May (nee Littrell), dear father of Marcine (Ed) Lohman, Ballwin, MO, Carol Amelung, and Andrew Amelung, Jr. of Pacific, MO, dear brother of Henry (Jackie) Amelung, Ironton, MO and Nelle White, Pilot Knob, Missouri, brother in law to Daisy Amelung and Ed Hall, and dear uncle of Larry (Linda) Amelung, Ironton, MO, Mary (Jerry) James, Cadiz, KY, Maria (Tom) LaPointe, FL, Nancy Amelung, Ellen (Robert) McDarmont, Eustis, FL, and Carole (Larry) Schroer, KY. Babe is preceded in death by three brothers, Herb, Herman and Oscar Amelung, and by one sister, Edna Hall. Babe was born to Herman Henry Christian Amelung and Marie "Mary" Anna Wilhemia Schlueter on July 20, 1916 in Pilot Knob, Missouri and was baptized at the Immanuel Lutheran Church of Pilot Knob. Babe began working at the Pennsylvania Glass & Sand Company in 1936 when sand was still being hauled out of the quarry by mule. To move the sand a mule was attached to a cart which was capable of carrying two and one-half tons of sand. Pacific had four or five of these mules but Babe had the meanest of the lot. According to Babe, "If he couldn't bite you, he'd kick you, and if he couldn't kick you, he'd paw you." When he first started as a Mule Skinner, he made 40 cents an hour and worked 10 hours a day ($4.00 a day). One story he liked to tell of his Mule Skinner days was of how they would flicker the lights in the tunnel when it was quitting time and the mules would automatically come out to the stable. Unfortunately, when there was a thunder storm flickering the lights, the mules didn't seem to think that any different from quitting time and still insisted on leaving for the stables. When Babe returned to the plant after the war, "Bob" and the rest of the stable had been replaced by dump trucks, a move that none of the Mule Skinners regretted. Babe gave the Pacific (PGS) plant 50 years of service before retiring and after that worked there for many more years as a security guard. During W.W.II, Babe served with the 819 Engineer's Battalion in England, France and Germany and participated in the D Day landing on the Normandy beach head. He spent a total of thirty-nine months in the European Theatre. Returning to Pacific in 1946, Babe resumed his duties in the quarry, this time as a Shovel Operator. Although the Army had taken Babe out of the country, you couldn't take the country out of Babe. While in Europe, he continued his hunting, bringing in a variety of game for the mess hall to cook up. Apparently even language was no barrier - while in France, a hunting party who spoke no English, met up with Babe and included him in their wild pig/boar hunt. He donated his game to the other hunters who were quite grateful for the extra help. Babe always carried a "lucky" silver dollar in his pocket that his brother Oscar gave him before W.W. II. He carried that silver dollar so long he wore it smooth and it only seemed right that he continue carrying it with him up to the Pearly Gates. The coin and his masonic rings were buried with him along with his favorite chewing tobacco. Babe was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 534 and the American Legion Post No. 320 in Pacific. Babe's hobbies included coon, rabbit and squirrel hunting, vacations were usually spent deer hunting, and he has pulled quite a few Bass, Jack Salmon and Catfish out of the Meramec River in Pacific. In his younger days in Pilot Knob, he would carry a Prince Albert can in his pocket full of worms as he said "to always be ready." He was an avid story teller who's adventures included coming upon a moonshine still up in the Pilot Knob mountains during Prohibition time to the ghost his brothers and he saw up on Shepard Mountain one night while coon hunting. Babe passed away just a few minutes after returning home from visiting his brother and sister in Ironton/Pilot Knob. Funeral services were held Thursday, April 3, 1997 at Bell Funeral Home. Interment at Midlawn Cemetery in Union, MO. Pallbearers were Larry Amelung, Andy Amelung, Edward Lohman, Eddie Myers, Lawrence Littrell and Joe "Bootie" Capestro. Copyright (c) 2001 by Marcine Lohman. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Marcine Lohman ====================================================================