Bidding Farewell to Wilson Avenue

For many who attended city council meetings in University City, the Rev. Willie Burns and his wife, Nazaree Burns became 

Their emotions ranged from weary to hopeful as they stood before councilmembers, , asking for updates on the buyout, which was for months while the city pursued additional grant money. The city said that when it applied for the grant it was not aware .

"They just slowed down. We were so afraid that they were going to just forget us," Nazaree Burns said. 

On Wednesday morning, the Burnses were spending the last day in the house they called home for 38 years, gathering the remainder of their belongings. A U-Haul truck was parked out front, ready to take the couple to their new house in Florissant, where the Rev. Burns is an associate minister at a church.

Many of their neighbors have already preceded the Burnses.

Nazaree Burns said the day was bittersweet, but that the couple was ready to move on.

"I'm thankful, and I'm glad to be going, given what we've been through with the floodwater," she said. "We're growing older, and we just needed peace of mind. That's the biggest thing. It's going to give us peace of mind."

"Thank be to God, it came on through," the Rev. Burns said. "Today, we went and signed off." 

At 9:30 a.m. Wednesday the couple officially sold its house to University City. 

Asked if he had any parting words for University City, the Rev. Burns said, "Just tell U City farewell and thank them for what they have done."

The couple plans on going to a future council meeting to thank the city in person.

It'll be three years in September since the River Des Peres, which runs along the back of several dozen homes on Wilson Avenue, unleashed a fatal torrent of floodwaters.

"We just saw the creek starting to rise and the reverend went trying to get the other neighbors and awake and tell them to get up because this is unusual. We kept watching (the creek) and it just kept coming," Nazaree Burns said.

"We had a car in the garage which was just too late to try to go back and get," she said.

The couple got into their other car, which was parked in front of their house, and drove to the nearby  where they thought they could wait out the floodwaters.

"And it kept coming. The Dollar store lot started to flood, and we had to move to Schnucks," she said.

The floodwaters caused two deaths on the street.

The buyout involves 26 homes. So far, University City has closed on 15 homes, City Manager Lehman Walker said. He said additional closings are scheduled throughout the next two weeks.

Once the city assumes ownership of the properties, the buildings will eventually be demolished and the land turned into a greenway.

When asked if it'll be emotional for them when the city tears down their home, the Burnses said no, they are at peace with the situation.

"We've moved on. When they take it (the house) down, that's totally up to them," Nazaree Burns said. "We're OK. We knew we had to go."