James D. Stauffer, 91

March 03, 2024

James Dulebohn Stauffer passed away on March 3, 2024 at Wellspan Ephrata Hospital after a brief illness at the age of 91. “Jim” was born in Lancaster, PA on December, 3 1932.

A long time Lancaster County resident, Jim grew up in Landisville where his parents Alta and Earle Stauffer operated Stauffer’s Grocery store in the center of town until the 1971. He often recalled cranking the handle of the molasses pump to fill containers for customers. He really knew the meaning of “slow a Molasses in January.” Upon graduating East Hempfield high school, Jim attended Franklin and Marshall college and completed with a degree in geology which began his lifelong mineral collecting passion. A passion which he shared with his wife E. Amelia Craig Stauffer and their 5 daughters, often joking that he had “rocks in his head!” Jim served as the president of Mineralogical Society of Pennsylvania during the 1960’s. During that time and into the 1970’s, weekends were spent on field trips with the MSP to quarries where adults and kids would chip away with hammers searching for minerals to add to their collection. The Stauffer collection was extensive and took up half of the basement in their home and was coined the “Rock Room.” A number of his unique Canadian collection were purchased by the Bancroft Mineral Museum in Ontario. He had a keen eye and knew where to dig for choice specimens. His love and writing and minerals converged when he published an article on Turquoise in the mineral magazine, Matrix.

He completed his schooling with a Masters of Education from Millersville College and worked in the Manheim Township School District teaching Physics and Earth Science where he spread his love of minerals and the environment to a generation of youth, later becoming a middle school guidance counselor. After leaving the school district, Jim worked in adult education as an assistant director for IU-13 at the Lancaster County Prison where he started Project Hope, an organization that helped inmates earn their GED’s. And later for the same organization as a director of the ESL program. He liked to say that he had “many retirements” from various professions, first from education and selling World Book Encyclopedia and later from selling insurance for Franklin Life and Woodman.

Jim’s 23-year military career began when he joined the US Army 82nd Airborne Signal Company jumping out of “perfectly good airplanes.” Along with being a soldier he served as an Army Photographer and served stateside during the Korean War. He later joined the Pennsylvania National Guard and became Sergeant First Class of the 103rd Company B of the Medical Battalion where he proudly earned an Expert Field Medical Badge. Apparently not an easy task! He enjoyed “patching people up” in the National Guard and for 10 years volunteered as an EMT for the Manheim Township Ambulance Association. He was also a volunteer firefighter for the Neffsville Fire Department. Another organization which he was dedicated to was the Military Oral History Group of Lancaster County which holds monthly meetings in which WW2 veterans share their stories. Jim was president and Speaker coordinator of the group and loved finding and connecting with veterans and learning their stories. Jim’s interest in WW2 military patch collecting began as a young boy. During WW2 he would approach any and all soldiers he met around Lancaster and eagerly identify their regiments by looking at their uniform patches. His curiosity and knowledge in their battles and stories would begin a conversation and in the end most would happily send the enthusiastic boy a letter and patch in the mail. He developed an extensive collection which in retirement, he enjoyed sharing with the public during yearly WW2 reenactments. He donated his collection of over 300 patches to the Delaware Military Museum in September 2023. He was a member of several mineral associations including the Pennsylvania Chapter of Friends of Mineralogy, Berks Mineralogical Society, Delaware Mineralogical Society, and the Baltimore Mineral Society. He was a member and board member of the historic Haldemann House as well as many other organizations in which he devoted his time and resources to. Jim was a member of 3 churches, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and St. Edwards Episcopal Church, both of which he sang in the choir. He also attended his childhood church Landisville’s Church of God.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Alta and Earle Stauffer and a sister Earla Mae Banks. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, E. Amelia Craig Stauffer, and by 5 daughters, “When you learn how to do something right, why change?”, Amelia Eshelman and spouse Roger Eshelman of Carbondale Colorado, Kimberly Berkich, and spouse Ken Berkich of Holtwood, PA, Jennifer Rhoades of Lititz, Pa, Jamie Justice of Exmore, Va, and Tammi Stauffer and spouse Hal Perez of Baltimore, Maryland as well as 20 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.

Jim will be remembered for his warm and generous spirit, his joie de vie, his playful humor, his poetic writings, his commitment to family and his unwavering faith in God.

Services will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Lancaster on Monday, April 22 at 11 am with military honors following. Reception at St. Thomas will follow with private family attending graveside. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his name to St. Thomas Episcopal Church at stthomaslancaster.org or the Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors at pawoundediwarriors.org.