| Denver, Colorado Society |
|
 |
||
| August 2003 | Biographies | Last updated on 06/17/2006 |
George Edgar STEVENS, born February
22, 1916, in Denver, CO. Son of Edgar Clarence and Mary Ellen
(Jackson) STEVENS. The family was living at Sugarloaf, CO, where
his father worked at the US Gold Corp. Mill, at the time of his
birth. He lived at Sugarloaf until he was about 2 years old, when
the family returned to Denver and lived at 4545 Bryant St, 4444
Beach Ct and 4456 Clay St., where his grandmother and grandfather
JACKSON also lived.
When George was four years old, the family moved to 730 Lowell
Blvd. This was on May 20, 1920. Here he was raised to maturity,
attending school at Villa Park Elementary, (The name was later
changed to Eagleton Elementary.) Then he attended Lake Junior
High School. At Lake Junior High, George had an old maid teacher,
named Miss BAKER. She always insisted that the boys wear a white
shirt, black pants and tie to school. George continuously went
to school without a tie. Miss BAKER would then call his mother
and tell her he came to school without a tie. One day, Miss BAKER
called his mother and said, "George came to school without
a tie again." His mother went to school and encountered George
in the hallway, where he was wearing 5 neck-ties. He had one at
his neck as normal, one draped loosely around his shoulders, a
bow tie at his neck as normal and one bow tie on each arm. His
mother then took him into Miss BAKER's classroom and said, "He
has a necktie on. How many more do you want him to wear?"
She had to laugh.
When he was about twelve years old, he moved to Fondis, CO, where
he lived with Forrest and Lillian HEAD, known as "Mom"
and "Pop" to the many young boys who lived with them
over the years. George helped with the farm work and attended
Sentinel Ridge School, where he finished the eighth grade. He
then returned to Denver and finished the ninth grade at Lake Junior
High School.
As a young teenager, he returned to Elbert County, where he worked
on various farms, as there was little work in the city. He was
raised a Baptist and was baptized in Barnum Baptist Church, (which
later became Grace Baptist Church,) in Denver. He sang in the
church choir and sang many duets with his sister, Emma.
When a fire destroyed the farm home of Roy VOTE, (where George
was working,) he again returned to Denver and on Dec. 20, 1935,
at the age of 19, he joined the United States Army at Ft. Logan,
CO, where he and his sister, attended all of the dances. They
would dance the first and last dance and all of the waltzes together.
They always won the dance contest for the exhibition waltz. He
was discharged after 3 years. On Dec. 4, 1938, he married Barbara
Almarra THIEMAN, at his parent's home. Three children were born
to this marriage:
1. Terrill E. 12/5/1939 Denver, CO
2. Harold E. 3/15/1941 Denver, CO
3. Living STEVENS Denver, CO
During 1940 and 1941, war was
plaguing Europe and on Feb. 13, 1941, George again took the oath
of his country and rejoined the Army. He was assigned to the First
Cavalry Division, at Ft. Bliss, Texas, until June 1941, when he
was assigned to the 3014 Maintenance Company of the Eighth Engineers,
in Leesburg, VA. He later saw duty at Camp Sutton, NC, at Fredericksburg,
VA, where he attended Officers Training School and at Ft. Belvouir,
Camp Indio, CA, where he received desert training for service
in the South Pacific.
During WW II, he saw duty in Australia, New Guinea, the Admiralty
Islands and the Philippines. He received the following citations:
The American Campaign Medal, American Defense Service Medal,
Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National
Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Philippine Liberation
Medal and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Later, he
received the Army of Occupation of Germany Medal.
While he was in the Headquarters and Service Troop of the Eighth
Engineers, he listed his exact assignments on the back of a picture
of his niece, Mary Elizabeth Wilson, with the dates:
1943-- Strofpine, QLD, (Queensland,) Australia, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, Newcastle, NSW (New SouthWales), Australia, Sangate, QLD, Australia--Gona, New Guinea--Buna, New Guinea--Cape Killerton, New Guinea, 1943-1944--Oro Bay, New Guinea, 1944--Cape Sudusta, New Guinea--Los Nergros, Admiralty Islands--Manus Island, Admiralty Island--Howie Island, Admiralty Island--Borangas, Philippine Islands and Manila, Philippine Islands.
After the war, George returned
to Denver, where he was honorably discharged from the Army in
1945. He then worked at the General Iron Works, in Englewood,
CO, a company his father had worked for, for 30 years. After about
six months, Union strikes caused him to re-enlist in the Army,
February 21, 1946.
George was assigned to the 5301 A.S.U. Recruiting Division, where
he remained until January 1949. On January 3, 1949, he joined
the 5474 A.S.U., R.O.T.C. Detachment, in Boulder, CO. He instructed
in Demolition and Explosives at the University of Colorado, until
February 2, 1950. While at the University, he was appointed to
Warrant Officer. At this time, he moved, with his family, to the
Boulder area, in Four Mile Canyon, near Gold Hill and Salina.
On Feb. 3, 1950, George was assigned to the 5101 A.S.U. Detachment
at the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, CO, as an Instructor
in the R.O.T.A. Unit, where he remained until Sept. 3, 1951. George
and Barbara purchased a home at 902 Hooker St, in Denver.
Oct. 1, 1951, George was sent to Heidelberg, Germany, where he
was assigned to the 1201 A.S.U. as a Warrant Officer. His family
joined him there, where they remained until March 5, 1954, returning
again to the Colorado School of Mines, for a short time. In 1955,
George joined the 10th Mountain Division, returning to Europe
again, to Kitzigin, Germany and in March of 1957, he returned
to the United States and joined the 845th Engineers Battalion,
at Ft. Polk, LA, as a Platoon Sergeant of B Company of the Earth
Moving Platoon.
George retired from the Military on Sept. 30, 1958, after a long
and eventful career. He served 20 years, 20 days. He joined the
Army Reserves, which gave him two more years of service.
After his return to Denver, he was employed by Gerald Downing,
a contractor, for about 4 years. On July 18, 1962, George started
working for the City of Englewood, in the street department, as
the Senior Maintenance man. At this time, George and Barbara purchase
a home at 1939 So. Fox St.
On March 19, 1970, George collapsed at work and died of a heart
attack. His unexpected death, at the age of 54, left many friends
and family to mourn his passing. He was buried with full Military
Honors, at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Littleton, CO. His
wife, Barbara Almarra THIEMAN, born Aug. 27, 1917, in Ft. Collins,
CO. She had 2 older brothers and 1 younger sister.
The family lived in Northern Colorado and Washington State, when
Barbara was a child. They moved to the Denver area, where Barbara
was raised and educated, in the Denver schools, graduating from
West High School, in June 1936. After graduation, she was employed
at Colorado General Hospital under a training program for Nurse's
Aides. Barbara remained at home in the Denver area while George
was on various military assignments.
Barbara was an excellent seamstress and very adept at crafts and
creating designs of various degrees. She had many hobbies and
was very talented. She was called on continuously for crafts or
making cakes for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries or any other
occasion.
After George's death, Barbara remained in the family home. She
was a member of the Westside Christian Church, which she attended
most of her adult life.
On Jan. 18, 1992, Barbara suffered a massive Cerebral Hemorrhage,
in her home and passed away at Swedish Medical Center in Englewood,
CO. She was laid to rest, beside her husband, at Chapel Hill Memorial
Gardens, on January 21, 1992.
Copyright
© 2003-2006 Denise Wells
Copyright © 2003 by Sheila Hanna
Copyright © 2000-2003 by Leona L. Gustafson Copyright ©
1998, 1999 by Mary Ann Hetrick
USGenWeb Project logo © USGenWeb Project and rights are limited
to use on an official USGenWeb Project Page COGENWEB logo
©1998, 1999, The COGenWeb project logo was designed by Leroy
Oldham for the limited use only on an official COGenWeb page.
This
site is generously Thank you, RootsWeb, for your support of the USGenWeb project |