In Memoriam

Glennon E. Bishop (1925-2001)
"The Author of Our Enterprise"

Born in St. Charles, Missouri, March 10, 1925, Glennon E. Bishop attended Lincoln Elementary School and graduated from St. Charles High School in 1943. He received his B.S. B.A. from Washington University in 1948 and honorably served his country in World War II in the U.S. Navy, 1943-1945.

Glennon became a general contractor and homebuilder, owning his company from 1956 to 1967. From 1967 to 1979, he was owner of St. Charles County Electric; Olde Town Lighting, 1973 to 1979; and The Glass Workbench, 1975 until his death in 2001.

Glennon and Joanne Johnson were married 52 years and to that union 4 children were born. David Bishop teaches music in Norway; Barbara is Director of Case Management for Crossroads Regional Hospital, Wentzville; Jean and Julie are part owners of the family-owned business, The Glass Workbench. He left behind eleven loving grandchildren, one great‚grandchild and another on the way.

Glennon restored four historic buildings in St. Charles and was the builder of the Lewis & Clark Keelboat replica. After a devastating fire, Glen and the Discovery Expedition crew built two pirogues and then rebuilt the original Keelboat. This beautiful masterpiece took first place float in the national parade in Washington, D.C. on July 4, 1992.

He was the recipient of the Discovery Award - Lewis and Clark Rendezvous, 1993. He received the Veterans of Foreign Wars Americanism Award, 1996, and the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Distinguished Cultural Service Award, 1996. He also received the Foundation of St. Charles Schools Distinguished Achievement Award, 1998.

Active in his community, Glennon was a leader in the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts. He served as City Councilman, 1966 to 1972; Chairman of the YMCA Organizing Committee, 1967 to 1974; and the St. Charles County Democratic Committee Chairman, 1968 to 1972. Glennon also served on the Riverfront Planning Committee and Landmarks Preservation Board for St. Charles City. He was an Elder in the St. Charles Presbyterian Church.  Glennon died Oct. 24, 2001.

Note: The City of St. Charles, Mo., named the portion of its Missouri riverfront area housing the Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center Bishop's Landing in Glen's honor. The designation plaque was dedicated May 17, 2004.

GLENN
by Chris Hasty

To say that this man wanted to be a leader is to do him discredit. That when he started to build a boat years ago and saw a huge adventure before him that he truly sought after, would probably not be true. But what would be true, in my opinion, is that he took something that had grown beyond a simple starting and, taking it in stride, saw something that he could share his love of craftsmanship and history and be a part of something bigger than himself and that he truly grew to love. I don't think that he ever saw himself as a man with a mission nor wanted to be forefront, but did accept, in what became "The Discovery Expedition of St. Charles". He did tell anyone what his own main concerns were and that was his boat...the keelboat of Lewis and Clark. And I do believe his passion lay there.

I saw him delight in each and every person that came to admire the boat and talk to them about an expedition of long ago and about the building of his boat and all the intricacies of craftsmanship and people coming together with some common goals in mind. I saw this same man shy away from cameras, saying that they should take pictures of the keelboat. He loved seeing the men work on the boat and would stand back and admire each persons abilities and their willingness to be a part. But, along with his passion for the keelboat, he would also point out what was needed for that boat and how he wanted things done. It was his main concern. He talked with me once and told me that he was really amazed how things had gotten from a model of a keelboat, to seeing people from a lot of states coming together and just wanting to be a part of what he had started. He was truly taken aback sometimes of the immensity of how far things had come. And that he liked it, yes, but still just wanted to remain somehow anonymous...just one of the guys. He was. His light is not gone, hardly dimmed. What he has let us all know is that we all can find ourselves in an adventure and still be us...fun loving, silly, dreamers, passionate and dedicated ...anything you want to call us. You get to be an American in the most wonderful sense...

The torch has been passed and will never go out.

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