DENNIS (DICK) BRADY

6458 Wise Avenue

By Gerry Brady Miller
March 17, 2006

Dennis Brady lived his entire life in Dogtown and was a life long member of St. James Church. He was oldest of his siblings so he only went to third grade at Gratiot School. He had to work to help support the family. He worked at Winkle Terra Cotta for many years and on the McArthur Bridge as a toll collector. When Fr.Larry Nibberich was kidnapped from the rectory he went across the bridge with a gun to his head and his plan was to jump out when he saw my dad. Luckily my dad was resting and didn’t see Father going across the bridge. They bound Father up in his trunk in East St. Louis. He was not injured. He talked many people out of jumping off the bridge.

Dick was born on April 6, 1891, son of William Brady, Jr and Mary Brady (nee Crowley). Some people called him Richard. I guess because his nickname was Dick. He lived on Ripple Street, then at 1201 Childress, then 6438 Wise and lastly at 6458 Wise Avenue until his death in August 1959. He helped his brother Jim build his home at 1436 Graham Street and drew up plans for the Terra Cotta at the entrance to St. Louis University Building on Grand Avenue. He was married to Julia O’Connell and had three girls, Maureen, Eileen and Geraldine.

There was also an article about Dennis Brady in a 1953 Post-Dispatch article, and his work as a toll taker on the MacArthur bridge.


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Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu