West Virginia never had a prouder son than James Franklin Stitzinger. His youth was filled with the freedom of the hills, the love of the land and an instinct to explore. Not even the Blue Ridge Mountains could hold back his family and soon the City of Brotherly Love wrapped its arms around them, never to let go.
Baseball was his passion, hard work was his gifting. From carpentry to clearing tables at Howard Johnson’s, his work ethic marked him as a man on a mission. That was until a gorgeous waitress named Elizabeth captivated his heart and completed his life.
He belonged to the greatest generation, and did not flinch when it was his turn to join the 95 Infantry, marching across France and Germany. War evaporated his youth, but it did not take his humor. It crushed his heart but it did not break his will. Raw courage and love of country got him there. But in a ditch in Germany, with his pack blown off and enemy fire passing inches away, he promised God that if he survived, the rest of his life belonged to Christ.
He returned home galvanized by war fighting and tenderized by saving faith. Carpentry was his pathway forward and across Philadelphia, homes and apartments stand that were build with his sweat equity. “Income is better than wages”, “Never use your hand as a hammer”, “straighten bent nails & reuse them”, and leave room for “Kentucky windage”…were more than witty comments, they were his way of framing up the world around him.
God gave him the perfect helpmate and together they brought four boys and a daughter into this world. The Evangelist Billy Graham came to town and one by one, each of their children became a child of God. Having seen the brutality of war, and the great world wide need for salvation, they determined that no matter the child’s vocation, each would have a theological education. And that they did.
Four boys and a precious daughter could not be contained in their small house and so since God wasn’t making any more land, he purchased the Garden Gate Farm on which we now stand, where he will rest in the family graveyard.
From him we learned to master a trade, earn your callouses, work smart, fear nothing, listen to sermons when we drive, keep a joyful heart always, drown our cake in a bowl of milk, drive an extra hour to avoid a toll road, back in our trucks, feed left overs to the cats, live without air conditioning, never miss a home cooked meal, always say I love you and that washing dishes was a great way to show love for your wife.
He taught us to love our Savior, serve His church, protect the vulnerable, and work harder than anyone else ever.
His death closes a chapter in all of our lives, but it begins the his eternal fellowship with his Savior. He left this earth from the house he built and entered the eternal home built by our King.
As General Patton said, “Old soldiers never die, they just slowly fade away.” Jim Stitzinger Sr. may have slowly faded away, but in his time, he made more than a living, he made a legacy.