Submitted by: Cathy Millburn

SIDNEY JACK STEM

     Sidney Jack Stem, b July 10, 1923, in Waco, McLennan County, Texas - is a son of Wiley Wilson and Ada Melinda (Rowe) Stem of Waco, and a grandson of Sidney Jackson and Sarah Caroline (Gower) Stem of Lynnville and Cornerville, Tennessee, and of William Alfred and Laura Jane (Wright) Rowe, of Oklahoma.
     "Jack" enlisted in December, 1942, in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving three years in the 180th Artillery Battalion in the South Pacific. After the war, he enrolled at Baylor University where he met Virginia Lee Johnson. They married on June 7, 1947 at the Seventh and James Street Baptist Church in Waco. Virginia was born March 23, 1927 in De Soto, Missouri - a daughter of Earl St. Clair and Emma Lillian (Cape) Johnson, whose parents were Leander Rose and Anna Elizabeth (Adams) Johnson of Philadelphia and James Edward Cape of DeSoto,Missouri and Mary Sophia Mercer of Monticello, New York.
     Jack received his B.S. degree in 1948 and his M.A. degree in 1949 from Baylor University, where he was a member of the Varsity Swimming Team and Letterman's Club, while Virginia earned her B.A. degree from Baylor in 1946, where she was a member of Pi Alpha Lamda Sorority and Phi Gamma Nu, a National Honorary Business Fraternity and Pi Gamma Mu, a National Social Science Fraternity.
     In April, 1951, Jack and Virginia moved to Marlin, Falls County, Texas with their infant son, as Jack had accepted a position on the staff of the Veterans Hospital, where he has been employed as Chief of Recreation, Volunteers, and Public Relations for thirty five years. He is a Deacon in the First Baptist Church of Marlin, a Sunday School teacher for twelve-year-old boys, the Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop #557, and for the Heart of Texas Council in 1964 for the National Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and for the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico in 1966.
     Jack has served his community as Chairman of the Falls County Chapter of the American Red Cross, President of the Lions Club, the Old Settler's Association, the United Fund, Director of Marlin Country Club, and was an official for the Southwest Football Conference.
     Virginia began teaching in Marlin High School in 1957, and is presently in the English Department. She founded the Lucile Wilson Chapter of Future Teachers, and was a sponsor of the Junior Historians. In 1962, she was the Founder of Girl Scout Troop #413, sponsored by the Baptist Church. Virginia has been active in the Hoe and Hope Garden Club, the Marlin Council of Garden Clubs, the Allen House, the Falls County Historical Commission, the Palace Theatre Board, and the Henry Downs Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, of Waco. She has been Chairman of the Beta Nu Delta Gama professional honor society, President of Falls County T.S.T.A., and a charter member of the Marlin Classroom Teachers Association.
     Jack arid Virginia (Johnson) Stem have two children:
     Wiley Montgomery Stem, b March 7, 1951 in Waco, Texas - married August 14, 1976 to Rosalie Veronica Vrba, of Tours - a daughter of August C. and Elsie Vrba. "Monty" and Rosalie have two children, Wendy Jacqueline, b September 8, 1979, and Matthew Montgomery Wiley Stem, b December 22, 1981. They reside in Waco, where Monty is employed by Texas Power and Light Company, and Rosalie works for the Texas Highway Department.
     Laura Lee Stem, b April 1, 1965 in Waco, Texas is a 1986 Senior in Marketing-Management in the Business Department at Baylor University. She is past Honorary State President for Life of the Texas Society of Children of the American Revolution, and Past National Historian. She is a member of Alpha Chi Omega, a member of Young Republicans and Pro Life Chapters at Baylor. She served as Miss Falls County, 19841985, and represented the County at the Miss Texas U. S. A. Contest in San Antonio.
     Jack and Virginia bought the Captain Henry Gray Carter at 407 Gift Street in 1959, and have restored it, keeping all the original style and architecture. In 1971 their was marked by the Texas Historical Commission as a historic site and a marker was unveiled giving a biographical sketch of Captain Carter.

Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical Commission, page 433 column 2 and page 434 column 1 and 2.  
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.