LETTER: ARTIST AND GENTLEMAN

To the editor:

With the death of Paul Lueders, Cape Girardeau has lost an artist, a craftsman and a gentleman. Almost from the beginning of his career in Cape Girardeau, Paul did the yearbook photography for local high schools and the university. Although he could have treated these contracts simply as jobs to be completed, he instead approached each of these assignments with the same drive and skill he used in all areas of his profession.

When at work in his studio, Paul displayed the kind of concentration and artistry befitting a prize-winning photographers. He would make what to a lay person would seem only minute changes in lighting. He would changes lenses, even cameras. And when his subjects believed enough poses had been tried, Paul often insisted on several more. However laborious these procedures might have seemed to one sitting in front of the camera, each change was made for one reason: to be certain that, among the many proofs, just the right one could be found. And it almost always was. The many blue- and red-ribboned portraits which hang on the walls of Paul's studio provide a living testament to his artistry and to his intense belief in a job well done.

Paul did possess and artistic temperament, including a focused striving for perfection in everything he did. But through it all, he remained a soft-spoken gentleman whose friendly demeanor put those around him entirely at ease. I'm certain I speak for many in saying that Paul Lueders will be sorely missed.

JOHN C. BIERK

Cape Girardeau