From the archive: Linder Deimund's life on the Mississippi

Published Sept. 8, 1983, in the Southeast Missourian:

Linder Deimund, who turned 87 today, looks out at the Mississippi River which has played a big part of his life. (Mary L. Spell ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

WORKING WITH THE RIVER

By MARY L. SPELL

Family Living Editor

For the past 65 years, the Mississippi River has offered Linder Deimund excitement, challenge and a good living.

"I guess the river and I are pretty good friends," said Deimund, who, with his family, has owned the Cape Girardeau Sand Co., Inc. since World War II. "I respect it and in return, it has been good to me."

Today is Deimund's 87th birthday and he is spending it doing what he does every week day. He is busy operating a crane, unloading sand from the barges onto a conveyor belt. The sand is moved up the conveyor belt to a large sand pile until dump trucks come for it, which they do on a regular basis. All the activity takes place on the river, just down the hill from the sand company which is located on Water Street.

This past week, Deimund stopped work early one day to recall some of his early days on the river and talk about circumstances which brought him and his family to Cape Girardeau, Aug. 17, 1915.

"I was born in 1896, this side of Apple Creek, about four and a half miles northwest of Neely's Landing," Deimund said. "It was rough days then and my Dad (Peter H. Deimund), packed a six shooter on his hip when he would go down the road to visit a neighbor. The county was going through a bad depression then and my Dad turned down three or four men a day who came by our farm asking for work. They got something to eat at our house, but there was no money to pay wages and all they were asking in those days was 10 cents a day and board."

Due to the bad health of Deimund's mother, the family farm was sold and they made the move from the country to Cape Girardeau, where she could get better health care. The move was made and Mrs. Deimund, with the help of the late Dr. John D. Porterfield, gained back her health.

Deimund decided to enter Coley's Business College, which was located on the third floor of a building at the corner of Spanish and Broadway. After two winters at school, the young man went to work for the Black Diamond Coal Co. and worked 11 hours a day, six days a week for $8. "And the $8 could buy a lot in those days," Deimund said recently. "I could get a pair of shoes or work clothes or a lot of groceries. Fifty cents bought a bushel of potatoes and bacon was about eight cents a pound."

When asked what a young man did for amusement in Cape Girardeau in the early 1920s, Deimund recalled that he didn't have much time for fun, but on some Sundays he visited a cousin who lived near Cape on a dairy farm. "I would help out on the farm, and it was a good change of pace from the coal company," Deimund said.

He did find time in 1933 to marry, and chose for his wife the former Susie Blumer, who is, according to Deimund, still his bride.

As World War II was coming to a close, the mayor and city council began talking about the building that was bound to take place when the soldiers all started coming home. The only sand company in the city had been sold and moved to Caruthersville.

Deimund's father, who was friends with the mayor, and who had experience with the Corps of Engineers, was approached about opening up a sand company. "We decided it might not be a bad idea, and as it has proved, we were right, Deimund said. "A house a day was built for two years after the war and they used a lot of sand."

A man from Crystal City who knew the river was brought here by Deimund's father. He taught Deimund about quality sand and the flow of the current to locate the sand. "It takes a steady eye and sturdy nerves to work the river," Deimund said.

The Deimunds built their first boat, a gasoline sternwheel with a 14- or 15-inch b ore and a 22-inch stroke and two fly wheels that were seven feet in diameter and weighed a ton apiece. "It was a nice, but crude single cylinder engine," Deimund said proudly. "We have always built our boats and one of my sons, Linder "Sonny" Deimund Jr., has designed and is building another, much larger one now. Our other son, Richard, also is a river pilot and works with us. The boys and their mother and I own the company now, and it looks like some of the grandchildren might be interested in doing this kind of work when they get out of school," Deimund said.

Days and years went by and the Deimunds became more entrenched in life along the river. They would push a barge up river or down river to a sand bar, anchor, and pump sand until the barge was full. The boat would push the barge back to shore and the unloading would begin."Years ago, it took two or three days to unload -- most by hand -- but, as time went by, we added more mechanization and the work goes faster."

Deimund was president of the North Main Street Levy District f0r 11 or 12 years and was involved in the numerous and often heated discussions before the construction of the Main Street floodwall, which he still contends "should never have been."

The sand company was moved from the area by the Main Street levy to the present location in June 1963. Deimund is happy with his decision to move and, with the help of his sons, continues to improve and enjoy his business.

As for retirement, Deimund answers, "definitely not. I would like to work for 12 or 13 more years. No point in wasting all these years of experience."

One correction: Cape Girardeau Sand Co. was founded shortly after World War I, not World War II, as the story indicates.

Linder Deimund died June 27, 1993, in Cape Girardeau. His obituary indicates that he retired from the sand company in 1985, the same year his wife, Susie K. Blumer Deimund, passed away.

Linder Deimund, 1983. (Mary L. Spell ~ Southeast Missourian archive)