9 James Stermer, growing up

Memories of James Edison Stermer
By Judy Stermer Hull Taylor

       As a child I heard that my father canoed down the Mississippi with his brother John, rode horse back from Detroit to Chicago, walked from Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Los Angeles, California.  I want to share these memories with the grandchildren.

       
      The family was from Columbus, Ohio. At some point the house they were living in was turned upside down by a flood. Of the few things they saved were four pinched glass little goblets and a box of craved wooden eggs. Grandpa's father, John Ernest Stermer, worked for Standard Oil digging oil wells. He traveled to Mexico where he was injured. A rig fell on his leg as he was working. It injured him but did not stop him from continuing to work. He returned to the United States every couple of years and then would take off on another trip.
             His education ended when he was in the 3rd grade but he was able to read and write. He thought the pay with the oil company was the best way to support his family. His last assignment was in Rangoon, Burma where he died. The letters he wrote to his sister Mrs. Piper reveal a bit of what he was like.
    
     John Ernest’s wife. Alice Victoria Saum Stermer (this is where I got the middle name of Alice) had purchased a house and started a “boarding house” which was a common thing for women to do in those days. Upon John’s  death, she placed the five children in an orphanage as she could no longer support them. She had no knowledge of an inheritance for the family. When John died, the minister in Burma sent a letter along with a dozen carved teak wood eggs that belonged to John.  In looking at them they were interesting but no more than that. No one knew these eggs were truly the “nest egg” carefully put aside for the family.
    
      Over the years eggs slowly disappeared. Nearly 45 years passed. Only one egg remained. The grandchildren had played with these eggs as rattles as they grew up. When I was about 5 years old I dropped the last remaining egg on the floor. It broke. It was discovered the eggs rattled because they had been filled with uncut diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
     
       If Alice Stermer had known this she would not have had to place Joseph, John, James, Leon nor Lillian in the orphanage. After the remaining egg was broken, Aunt Lillian Spitler, John’s daughter, gave the granddaughters rings made from the diamonds in the last egg. (This is the ring I gave to Cricket years ago with the diamond Lillian gave to me. Mary also had a ring.)  Lillian found homes for the other stones. 
     
        Some of my dad’s memories were of the orphanage. He talked about Saturday night baths. Being the youngest boy in the orphanage, he was the last to get in the bath water. By his turn, it was cold and dirty from all those before him. He talked about sleeping two and some times three, in a bed at night. These memories molded his life goals - helping children - when he became an adult
     
        James was ill as a child. He had asthma. As a result of his sickness, he was not very active physically as a child. As it turns out he was the only one in his family to go to school beyond the 3rd grade. Instead his brothers and sister all started work to support themselves and contribute to the family. They lived at home with Mama as a family until they were married. During the summers, James would help his cousins on their farms. As a number of the cousins moved to Freemont, Michigan. Jim graduated from high school at the age of 21 due to his illnesses. He went on to become a teacher.  You will find his report card with grades of when he went to Detroit Teachers College.
    
       He wanted to be a doctor. Being ill as a child he decided to get his body as fit as possible. He swam, hiked, and climbed rock faces. He even got his teaching certificate for swimming. You can see a copy of this certificate. During the summers he would teach swimming and canoeing at Belle Isle. He was somewhat of a show-off. He would load a boat with children. Then with the rope over his shoulder and in his teeth,  he would pull the boat, down the river.
     
       During the winter he taught indoor swimming classes at YMCA to supplement his income. He was determined to work to pay his way through college. The indoor pool was highly chlorinated. This caused a chemical burn on his lungs. He again became very ill. This time the doctors told him he would not live very long. They said the only thing that would help him would be to change climate. Based on this information, he decided to take his chance of either dying or walking out the West.
    
        He had a pair of boots made and molded for his feet. He headed West. He walked for a while and got odd jobs along the way. Then he bought a train ticket. His money held out to pay for a ticket to New Mexico. With a backpack, his boots, two blankets and walking stick he started out on his venture. He walked about 20 miles a day. Houses were conveniently spaced about every 20 miles. He would walk, stop and ask if he could do some work so he could buy some food. His diet on the road consisted of canned tomatoes for moisture, beans for protein and raisins for energy.
      
       He slept on the ground each night wrapped in his blanket and traveled during the day. He learned the constellations of the stars so they would guide him. He would chart his path at night. The stars helped him decide which way to go. On clear nights when I was a child, he would point out various constellations. The North Star was his favorite.
    
        He often related how he spent one scary night. An electrical storm approached. He told of being frightened. He found an arroyo (a dried river bed) and flattened himself so as not to be the highest thing around. He made it through the night, vowing to keep an eye on the weather in the future. But he talked about how he was no different than an animal. Fear stays with you.

      He continued to walk. He got to Santa Fe where the entries of the diary indicate he got a job as a masseur. This is also where he purchased two turquoise necklaces that he later gave to my mother. I restrung the two necklaces of turquoise into three strands and gave a strand to each to my daughter and daughter-in-laws a few years ago.