 Among the old members or St. John's, no one perhaps is better
remembered than JOHN STIMMLER. Born in Alsace-Lorraine in the village of Walwishein,
near Strassburg, he came to this country with his parents in 1837, and settled in Manayunk. The old home still stands at
the corner of Shurs Lane and Tower Street. At that time it was a farm house, and the farm was cultivated by the
Stimmler family. From that early day the Stimmler family was always active in the affairs of St. John the Baptist Parish.
Mr. Stimmler learned the trade of
carpenter in his youth and was engaged in the building business as contracting carpenter until his death. Many buildings
in Manayunk and vicinity were erected under his supervision during his many years in that occupation.
In 1852 he was married to Mary McAlernen
in St. John's Church by the Rev. David Mulholland, the pastor. During his long life Mr. Stimmler
took a prominent part in all the organizations and societies connected with the Church. The Total Abstinence Society,
which did a great and a much needed work among young and old in those days, had no more active worker. He never failed
to attend High Mass, and was one of the plate collectors in the old church for very many years. Mr. Stimmler
was also very kind-hearted and generous in his dealings with others.
Up to the time of his death, twenty-five years ago, he was the oldest member
of the parish and took his accustomed part in church affairs.
One of his brothers, the Rev. Valentine Stimmler,
O.S.B., was ordained to the priesthood in 1869 at the Benedictine College of St. John,
Collegeville, Minnesota. Another brother, Anthony Stimmler, was a soldier in the
Civil War.
Mr. and Mrs. Stimmler
were the parents of six children, of whom four survive: Joseph, Nicholas, Anna, and
Catherine. Mary, wife of James Mahon, died recently, leaving four children, James, Valentine, Madeline and Thomas.
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