Edward David Viehmann

Edward David Viehmann departed this life on Sunday, July 27, 2025, surrounded by family, and at peace in the promise of Christ’s resurrection.

Ed was born in St. Louis on March 4, 1936, to the late Edward W. and Leona (Bangert) Viehmann - the first of four sons. He grew up at the border of Berkeley and Kinloch, on Bangert Place, surrounded by the homes of extended family. He loved rambling and roaming around the area with cousins (notably, on a bike with no brakes), taking part in childhood misdeeds of legend.

Ed attended Berkeley High School, where he was an accomplished athlete. He played both basketball and baseball and was a member of the graduating class of 1954. He was recruited to play basketball at Southeast Missouri State University, where he enrolled as a Business Major. His college career, however, was cut short, after a fateful visit home with his roommate, David Anderson. It was on this trip that he first met David's beautiful and witty younger sister, Janet. Ed fell head-over-heels for her, and a proposal of marriage soon followed. Ed left college the following year and began working for his family business.

Ed and Jan married on September 8, 1956, at Immanuel United Church of Christ in Ferguson, Missouri. The happy couple welcomed their first son, Edward David Viehmann II, ten months later, and the next twelve years saw the arrival of three more sons - Jeffrey Arthur, John Anderson, and Brian James. The next couple decades were a whirlwind of baseball, basketball, football, soccer and track practices, dirty uniforms, and testosterone, mixed with long road trips, the odd call from the school principal’s office, and a fair number of family dogs (dogs ADORED Ed, and the feeling was mutual).

Starting in 1955, Ed worked full-time as a concrete finisher at Bangert Brothers, and then as a teamster at St. Charles Sand Company, alongside his father, who founded the business in 1945. He worked his way up to Vice President, and then eventually President and CEO of St. Charles Sand Co., President of All-Purpose Sand Co., President and managing partner of Kimaterials, Inc., and co-owner and Secretary of Limited Leasing, Inc. His career spanned more than five decades, during which he worked alongside two of his brothers and his sister-in-law, his sons, and many cousins and nephews, before retiring in 2008. He also served as President of the Bridgeton Businessman's Association.

Many hours spent driving on company business, along with the aforementioned family road trips, honed Ed's characteristic driving style, and earned him his most publishable nickname, “Fast Eddie.” Nearly every close friend and family member can vividly recall at least one white-knuckle passenger experience riding in Ed's car, and rumors still persist that he once got a 1960 Ford up on two wheels when he took a curve a little too enthusiastically.

Ed's sons have long bemoaned, to anyone who will listen, that Ed was a strict disciplinarian who ruled his boys with an iron first. His grandchildren, however, are happy to betray Ed's deepest secret: that he was one of the “Great Softies of the last 100 years.” Ed's grandchildren were his pride and joy, and often his willing accomplices when it came to helping him sneak an extra hotdog or dessert under Jan’s watchful eye. He was also his grandchildren's greatest cheerleader. Later in his life, anyone who hadn't seen Ed in a while could expect a full rundown on recent accomplishments of his grandchildren, lasting no less than 15 minutes.

Aside from his family and business, Ed dedicated most of his time to his faith community. He was a lifelong member of Immanuel UCC, where he was baptized, confirmed and married. He served as an usher, sang in the Men's Chorus, bowled with Jan in the church league, participated (memorably) in many variety shows and passion plays, played in the church softball league, and served several terms as Church Council President. He took great pride in the mission and work of the church, where his own grandfather had served as a founding member in 1889. He and Jan were also dedicated volunteers and supporters of ECH, Every Child’s Hope, for many years.

Ed was a rare combination of a person: a formidable “man's man” who was also incredibly sincere, faithful, honest, and generous, and proud to wear his heart on his sleeve. He laughed easily and often - his bellowing laugh always made him easy to find in a crowd (or a packed movie theater). He was tirelessly devoted to his family and his church, and never did anything halfway. He was an outstanding amateur bowler and bowled the first perfect 300 game at Strike ‘n Spare Lanes in Creve Coeur in 1963. He loved Steak ‘n Shake, Pio’s restaurant in St. Charles, coconut cream pie and pineapple upside cake, peaches, tomatoes, and drinking white zinfandel and 7-and-7s. Duck hunting was a favorite pastime, as was growing beautiful roses. Ed had a wonderful voice and sang with great passion; he especially cherished leading family in rousing renditions of “Sie Lieben Hoch” at weddings and other celebrations. He also loved playing pinochle and traveling extensively (to Hawaii, Santa Fe, Acapulco, Europe, and their condo in Ft. Meyers) with Jan and their best friends, Bill and Helen Ruwwe. Ed loved many things in life… but not snakes. Let the record show that he hated snakes.

Ed is survived by his wife of 68 years, Janet (Anderson) Viehmann, his sons E. David (Gail) Viehmann, Jeffrey (Anita) Viehmann, John (Pam) Viehmann, and Brian (Vicky) Viehmann; his grandchildren Ashley (James) Milam, Lindsey (Anthony) Bui, Rachel (Joshua) Holtgrewe, Andy (Rachael) Viehmann, Lauren (Robert) Scott, Charles (Molly) Viehmann, Nathan (Elizabeth) Viehmann, and Cameron (Rebecca) Viehmann-Daul; and his great-grandchildren, Auggie, Zeke, Ronin, Silas, Armie, Hazel, Aubrey, Daphne, and Liam. He is also survived by his brothers Richard (Janet) Viehmann and Russell (Virginia) Viehmann, as well as many loving nieces and nephews. Ed is reunited in death with his beloved parents, his beloved mother- and father-in-law, Hazel and Orville Anderson, his brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Joanne Viehmann, and his brothers-in-law Jerry Anderson, Gene (Nioma) Anderson, and David (Shirley) Anderson.

Ed’s friends and family will miss him dearly and cherish him always. A public visitation will be held from 4-8:00 pm on Thursday, July 31 at Baue Cave Springs. A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 1 at Immanuel UCC (Ferguson, MO) at 11:00 am, followed by interment at St. Charles Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that you make a donation to ECH Every Child's Hope (everychildshope.org), an organization that was close to his heart.