Gov. Matt Blunt has named a replacement for St. Louis County Judge Barbara Ann Crancer — who takes with her from the bench a little slice of labor lore.

Crancer, 70, retired at the beginning of the month, nearly 20 years after first being appointed by then-Gov. John Ashcroft.

But she is perhaps better known for her lineage than her rulings: Crancer is the only daughter of famed union leader James R. Hoffa.

Crancer met her future husband Robert – the son of a St. Louis steel boss — at a Teamsters convention in Florida in 1961.

As the story goes, Robert and Barbara went on a date each night of the convention, which was enough time for Robert to decide he wanted to propose before she went back to Detroit.

That was the easy part, I imagine. The next step, asking Jimmy Hoffa — Mr. Hoffa, sir – for permission to marry his daughter might have been just a tad more intimidating.

Crancer’s brother is James P. Hoffa, who has followed in his father’s footsteps to become president of the Teamsters. James P. has been to St. Louis at least twice in the last several months, stumping for Democratic candidates Jay Nixon and Clint Zweifel.

Blunt has appointed Mary Elizabeth Ott, a Brentwood attorney, to fill Crancer’s spot.

Crancer: Retired judge and daughter of famed labor leader