What was your Dad like when you were a child?

by Jim Stamp on January 06, 2022.

MY DAD
    August 7, 1920 to January 24, 2017

Elmer Richard Stamp was born August 7, 1920, at home in
Winona, Ohio, the firstborn to John Richard and Leora Hoopes
Stamp, and the first Grandson to James W. and Laura Buck
Stamp and Joshua W and Catherine Knoedler Hoopes. Home
was the house on the hill on Whinnery Rd that later became
the home of James and Clara Rhodes.

Richard Stamp and Sam Bennett were both salesmen for the
Stamp Home Store in Salem and the families were very close
friends. Consequently, their sons, Elmer and Glenn Bennett
bonded very early and were best friends until Glenn’s death in
WWII. Before Glenn left for the Army, they double dated frequently.

Another early “friendship” that was very influential to the
evolution of our family was one that may have started in Church,
but, blossomed in the first grade. Elmer claimed Fae Andre as his
“girlfriend” from Grade One until her death June 28, 1982. The
only time they were apart was when Fae attended Kent State
University for 2 years after high school. Elmer married Fae
Lucelia Andre (daughter of Leroy and Nova Andre) August 14,
1941 at the Winona Methodist Church. Elmer was a member of
that church for 96 years where he served as a Sunday School
teacher, member of many committees, and Church Treasurer.

As a youth, Elmer was active in the Church youth activities, LTL,
Flax Scutching Festival at Stewart’s Grove, and 4-H Live Wires.
He was very active in 4-H activities for more than 10 years:
gardening, flower gardening, wood work, rope work, dairy, pig
and electrical engineering. In addition to being an active 4-H
member, from age 15 to age 20 he was the 4-H advisor for the
Winona Boosters. In 1940, he represented Columbiana County at
the State Fair and was selected by the American Legion be their delegate to the National 4-H Congress in Chicago.

On November 11, 1925, widower Joshua W Hoopes was robbed at
gunpoint in his home on the Salem-Winona Rd (Rt 9). His
daughter, Leora, and his son-in-law, Richard, decided that it
was not safe for him to live alone and moved from their home
on Whinnery Rd to Joshua’s home on Rt 9.

During high school, Elmer was severely injured during physical
education class. As a result of this injury, he spent 6 ½ months
in a body cast from his ankles to his armpits. His body filled with
infection and the doctors drilled into his hips like they were
tapping a Maple tree to drain the infection. The doctors told his
parents, Richard and Leora, that he would probably never walk
again or regain the use of his legs. They also said that if he
recovered, he would not live to be 35. From that point on, Elmer
was in pain every day of his life. But, he was determined to
express a positive attitude and an easy smile. Very few people ever knew of the pain he endured.

He missed a year of school, but, graduated from Salem High
School and Salem Trades Extension.

He was employed by Salem Engineering Co – which later became Salem-Brosius.

Elmer married Fae Lucelia Andre at the Winona Methodist
Church on August 14, 1941. They purchased a home in Winona on
the north side of Winona Rd, 4th building from the intersection.
That was our home until his father-in-law, Leroy Andre died on
October 30, 1946. Shortly afterward, Nova Andre moved to our
home in Winona, and Dad and Mom purchased the farm from
her. From then on, Elmer pursued farming as an avocation but
continued to earn his living as a mechanical engineer. For the
first couple years of farming, he borrowed Mr Hawthorne’s
Belgian horses to plow and work the fields. He put me up on one
of the horses while he plowed- no seatbelts or helmets for us!

Elmer joined the Winona Farm Council, the Farmer’s Institute,
the Farm Bureau, and was elected to the Board of Directors of
Salona Supply, serving as President. He was President of the
Home and School Circle for the Winona and Highland Schools. In
1949, while serving the Home and School Circle, he declared his
candidacy for the new United Local School Board. He was elected
to the United Local School Board for the next 20 years when he
ran for the Columbiana County School Board where he served for
the next 34 years. For 28 years, he was the President of the
County Board. For a 2 year period, he served concurrently as a
member of the County Joint Vocational Board. Dr. Paul Hood,
former Columbiana County Superintendent stated that it was
Elmer’s vision of a school campus and the consolidation of
services (Cafeteria, busing, janitorial, etc) that made it possible
for United Local Schools to operate in the black for 28
consecutive years…something that no other school district in Ohio has attained.

Elmer was a Charter member of the Winona Ruritan Club (1956)
and received the National Ruritan Federation Tom Downing
Fellow Award (2004) and received a certification in December,
2010 from the National Ruritan president for 54 years of service.
Elmer had perfect attendance for 59 years. He worked at every
Ruritan Pancake & Sausage breakfast held at Willow Grove
Grange until 2014 and was the Master Pancake Batter Mixer for decades.

Not only did Elmer endure constant pain, but, he had incredible
work ethic. He would get up, get dressed and go to the barn to
milk cows. Come in, get cleaned up, get dressed, eat breakfast,
and go to work in Salem. Then he would come home, change
clothes, go to the barn and milk cows. Come in, eat supper, get
cleaned up, change clothes and go to a meeting. Many of the
Board of Education meetings ran until 2 to 2:30AM. Many times
he would come home, change clothes, and go out an plow a field
in the dark, guided by the tractor lights – Lay down for a couple
of hours and do it all over again.

In 2002, Elmer was inducted into the United Local Wall of Fame.
On December 9, 2010, he was awarded the first Honorary
Diploma from United Local Schools for service and dedication to
the school that was his passion. When the United Local Schools
opened, most of the area one room schools were sold. Elmer
purchased the school bell from the New Garden school and
guarded it in his garage for the next 60 years when he donated it
to the United Local High School as a Victory Bell located at the
football field. He participated in the United Local Minstrel from
1955 and participated in every Minstrel from then on.

He was involved in the construction of the Glenn Bennett
Memorial Playground, donated by Sam and Pearl Bennett to
honor all those who served in WWII. Elmer knew where there
was a stone that would be perfect for the monument and he drug
the stone almost a mile away. He ordered the bronze plaque and
chiseled the flat surface where the plaque would be mounted.

On April 3, 1942, Elmer’s name was printed in the Salem News
with the list of Army inductees. His number was 1678-1035.
However, when he reported to the induction center, they turned
him down due to his medical history.

He was instrumental in the resurrection of the Winona Flax
Scutching Festival which had been suspended during WWII. He
served as Treasurer of the Winona Flax Scutching Association
from 1978 until January 24, 2017. He was also a member of the
Winona Area Historical Society and served as Treasurer until a
couple of years ago. He was involved in the construction of Hall
Park in Winona. While doing this he was a Hospice of the Valley volunteer.

For someone who was not supposed to walk again and who was
in constant pain, he enjoyed square dancing and was a member
of the Minerva Burlesques and Salem Square Wheels square
dance clubs. He was a 54 year member of the Salem United
Commercial Travelers Club #590, and, a member of the
Columbiana County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

Elmer finished his Mechanical Engineering career at Electric
Furnace in Salem. He tried to have a normal retirement but they
kept calling him back. They needed him to design furnaces with
his slide-rule and T square. The younger guys thought he was a
relic with his primitive tools…but, if the designs weren’t in a
computer program or on CAD, they had no idea where to start.
He finally told them he was done – at 82 years old.

We are grateful to our Mother for choosing such a remarkable
man to be our father. They raised three sons: James Allen, Elmer
Lee, Jay Leroy; and daughter, Sharon Ann. They had 10
grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

He lived his life serving his family, his church, and the
community he loved. His heart never strayed from his Winona
roots, his family, his farm, or his beloved United Local Schools.