Clarence Stroemer
388th Evac Hospital
Bay City, Michigan

He’ll be remembered: Clarence Stroemer of Bay City, in a file photo from 2002. displays his confirmation picture that was taken about tour months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when he was 14years old. The longtime friend at the community died last week.

July 6, 2006

Clarence Stroemer was a man for all seasons.       He was a skilled laborer, foot ball player, army veteran, Christian churchgoer, civic volunteer, historical researcher, husband and family man.       He also contributed a number of interesting Items for me that turned into features and material for historical columns.       Clarence passed away last week at the age of 77, in his latest battle with cancer.       “I never realized before how many people and things he touched in his life,’ said his daughter Kathy Czuba. of Bay City. She said that she was overwhelmed by the number of people who wrote, called and came to the funeral home or the family home to offer condolences and to reflect on her lather’s life.       “He was always on the go,” she said. “He was interested in so many things.”       Among his continuing passions was his interest in his family’s home country of Germany and specifically Bavaria. He and his wile Gladys made numerous trips to the old country over the years, some times taking their children.       I hadn’t ventured too far from home and I wasn’t too sure about going to Germany, Czuba said. But we made the trip and we had the best time,”       She said they visited relatives in the area around Nnremburg and also toured Dresden, where there still are scars from World War II.       Clarence’s interest in his family’s roots also led to several features in The Times about his mother’s trip to America, when she emigrated to Bay City, and another on the rebuilding of German cities after the war. While he might have a fondness for Germany along with ethnic food and music, he was an American first, which he made sure everyone knew.      

He emphasized that by helping organize reunions for his U.S. Army outfit, the 388th Evacuation Hospital Unit. He joined the army in 1950 and served with the unit at Camp Atterbury, Ind., and Fort Richardson, in Alaska. One of the national reunions was held in Bay City and he and Gladys were host and hostess of the event.      

The Stroemers attended the last reunion In 2005 at Camp Atterbury where the few surviving members of their outfit gathered and toured their old grounds, sparking vivid memories of their army days.       He was born in Bay City on July 22, 1928, and attended Zion Lutheran School and graduated In 1946 from Central High School.      

A tall strapping lad, Clarence. who was called Clem by his buddies, not only was a star [or the Central High team but also played semipro ball for the Bay City Blazers and Bay City All Stars.       On April 14. 1951. he married Gladys Welde in Immanuel Lutheran Church where they stayed active their whole lives. They were the parents of one son and five daughters.   He actually has one unfinished project.” Czuba said. My parents were in the process of transcribing old records from the church that are in old German script,” she said. All of the original records of baptisms, marriages, funerals and school material were in the old German writing and difficult to read.       He was quite a perfection 1st,” she said. “He was very serious about getting the documents done correctly. The records were then typed Into a computer database by my mother on her computer. Other people from the church helped with a lot of the interpretations and gathering documents, too, she said. we Know that project will be done because that is what he expected to happen,” she added.       He also took great pride in his lifelong work in local plants as a skilled laborer, finishing as a top tool and die maker with Prestolite.  He was a supervisor of the toot room when the plant closed it doors in 1989.      

Another source of pride was the selection of Clarence and Gladys as king and queen of the Fourth of July Festival In 1992.       “He didn’t let that honor go to his head, but he was glad for the attention because he could promote Bay City that way.” Czuba said.       Both the Stroemers were longtime activists with the American Red Cross chapter here, with Gladys actually serving as director for a number of years.       “My father always supported her and her activities, Czuba said.       He was involved with the Bay County Historical Society and the Bay County Genealogy Society which allowed him to continue his research into local historic origins of the German community.       When he met you, you became his friend. I found that out at once.       He was the type of person. too, who would listen to you when you talked and when he responded, you found yourself interested in what was being said.       There aren’t many people with that legacy.