Bob Onder: “I rise today to honor Earnest Wesley Dempsey, Sr. He was a restaurateur, veteran, and a pillar of the St. Charles County…”

“I rise today to honor Earnest Wesley Dempsey, Sr. He was a restaurateur, veteran, and a pillar of the St. Charles County community. Ernie spent years of his life serving in the Navy before becoming an active member of the VFW post 2866, where he advocated for his fellow veterans. In St. Charles, Ernie was locally famous for running Pio's Restaurant. He started there as a manager, and his hard work ethic paid off when he took over the business. Ernie was a dedicated leader in his community, serving as the charter member of the Optimist Club and as a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of St. Charles County. In 2019, he was honored with the Key to the City of St. Charles and was named Restaurateur of the Year. Ernie contributed to everything that makes Missouri great, and he will be dearly missed.”