Francis Peter Rehagen, age 89, of Silex, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.
He was born Sept. 27, 1935, in a one-room house in Freeburg, the son of Alexander “Alex” Henry Rehagen and Emma Elizabeth (Ruder) Rehagen.
Francis was united in marriage to Joan Ann Olszewski, Nov. 17, 1956, at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Lemay. They went on a honeymoon trip to Florida. She survives at their home.
They belong to the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Millwood.
He enjoyed spending summers on the farm with his grandparents, Herman and Mary (Brune) Rehagen. He also drove a Chevy truck hauling wood for his Grandpa Peter Ruder, and speaking fluent German with his grandmother, Anna (Bock) Ruder.
Francis grew up in Freeburg. He attended Holy Family Catholic School for ten years and then went for two years to Fatima High School in Westphalia. He graduated in 1953.
After graduation, he worked for the Missouri State Highway Department for a short time and then went to St. Louis, to start his carpenter apprenticeship.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army Aug. 5, 1958. After his training at Ft. Leonard Wood, he was sent to Ft. Hood, Texas, for the remainder of his service time. He was trained as a Medic.
Francis built furniture and three of his own homes.
Francis worked building homes for Wolfrum Construction for eight to 10 years. He then went into commercial construction for HBD (H.B. Deal) Construction. He worked for them, with the last 22 years as a Superintendent (responsible for completion of the entire building), until he retired. He was especially proud of the high rises that he supervised.
A. Three high rises for Joseph Kelly in Des Peres,
B. Joseph Kelly overpass over I-270, in Des Peres,
C. Two teamsters’ high rises in St. Louis,
D. Multiple movie theatres for Wehrenberg: in St. Charles, Des Peres, Keller, St. Clair in Ill., and Kenrick.
Francis and Joan, along with a few other couples, were instrumental in establishing Dardenne as its own city and renamed it Dardenne Prairie.
He assisted in building the Dardenne Knights of Columbus Hall on Post Road in Dardenne Prairie.
Francis was always faithful to God and the Catholic Church. He served as a 4th Degree Knight and Grand Knight for the Dardenne Council of the Knights of Columbus. He attended the annual silent retreats at the White House Jesuit Retreat Center in St. Louis, for over 50 years.
He enjoyed giving all the neighborhood children rides on his scooter in Florissant.
He had many skills in addition to carpentry, as a skilled welder he fixed many things including farm equipment. He loved farming and driving a tractor.
Francis’ favorite activities included hunting squirrel, rabbit, and deer. Other interests were trout fishing, and he went on two trips to Canada to fish for larger fish that was accessible only by airplane. He loved to barbeque, go on float trips, boating, and camping with family and friends. Early on, he had a boat named “Granny.” He loved boating on the Osage River, putting in at the Highway 50 and 63 Junction in Osage County. This is 15 miles from where he grew up.
Francis and Joan took a camping trip driving through Canada to Alaska. They found roads that would just end and found daylight for 24 hours a day.
Francis served with the St. Charles Emergency Corps as a diver on the Missouri River at St. Charles, and helped to retrieve river victims.
All unwanted animals found a home at the Rehagen house including Raymond, a skunk, and Scamper, a squirrel. Francis and Joan would feed the deer and turkeys in their current backyard so they could watch them eat all year long.
In later years, he liked watching western movies on the television.
He was a regular donor for the Red Cross and donated over 9 gallons of blood in his lifetime.
He was preceded in death by parents, Alex and Emma; and brother, Jerome “Jerry” Herman Rehagen.
He is survived by loving wife of 68 years, Joan Ann Rehagen; daughters, Pamela (Michael) Reitmeyer of O’Fallon, Sherry (Larry) Chartrand of Troy, and Merna (Jay) Thoroughman of Silex; grandchildren, Vincent (Kim) Leahy and Andrea (Michael) Twillman, Tony (Samantha) Chartrand, Danny Chartrand, and Alex (Erynn) Chartrand, Amanda (Cory) Siegler, Melanie (Jeremy) Webb, Abigail (Jordan) Lasater, and Madeline Thoroughman; great-grandchildren, Nolan, Brennan, Colin and Olivia Leahy, Gavin and Caiden Twillman, Finley and Dean Chartrand, Jonah and baby Jack Chartrand (due in April 2025), Sadie and Sophie Ohmes, and baby boy Siegler (due in February 2025), Dustin and Maren Webb, and Joanie and Otto Lasater; sisters, M. Teresa (Leander) Falter, Anne (Norbert) Falter both of Westphalia, and Janet (Lee) Waer of Jefferson City; and sisters-in-law: Lorraine Rehagen of Rich Fountain and Jean (Bill) Cox of Boynton Beach, Fla.
Visitation was held Tuesday, Feb.4, at the McCoy Blossom Funeral Home in Troy.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 10 a.m., at the St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Millwood.
Full military honors will be presented at his burial at 1 p.m., at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Road, in St. Louis.
Memorials are suggested to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in care of the funeral home.
Services entrusted to McCoy Blossom Funeral Home, Troy.
