WELDON J. ERNST

PERRYVILLE -- Weldon J. Ernst, 73, of Perryville died Thursday, Sept. 23, 1999, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis.

He was born Oct. 11, 1925, in Biehle, son of Joseph and Anna Zoellner Ernst. He and Wilberta (Birdie) Bohnert were married Oct. 1, 1949, in Apple Creek.

Ernst was a farmer. He was a member of the board of the Mercantile Bank in Perryville for 14 years, and served 19 years on the Perry County Farm Bureau board, including 14 years as president. He was a member of the boards of directors of the Perry County Nursing Home and the Biehle Community Fire Department.

He was a founding member of the Biehle Social Club, where he was a baseball coach, and a major contributor to the ballfield in 1962. He was a co-organizer of the Biehle Cloverleaf 4-H Club. He attended St. Maurus Catholic Church in Biehle, where he was a lector and served on the parish council and school board.

Survivors include his wife; two sons, Terry Ernst of Oran and Warren Ernst of Perryville; two daughters, Suzette Schilling of Perryville and Vickie Epley of St. Louis; seven brothers, Arnold Ernst and Bernard Ernst, both of Perryville, and Joseph Ernst, Stanley Ernst, Donald Ernst, Tom Ernst and Edward Ernst, all of St. Louis; one sister, Anna Mae Blanc of St. Louis; and seven grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one son.

Friends may call from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 to 10 a.m. Monday at the Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville. Parish wake service will be at 7 p.m. Sunday and a rosary will be recited at 9 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Maurus Catholic Church in Biehle. The Rev. Mark Bozada will officiate, with burial at St. Maurus Church Cemetery.