A good buddy left this old world. Barbara and I attended a memorial service at Hampton Park Baptist Church, Greenville, SC, on Wed., June 9, 2021, for the Rev. Steven Riley Sturm (pictured here), a friend of mine since at least 1969.
Steve, born in 1943, “passed from life to Life” on June 5. A quote from Steve’s obituary reads, “The only thing he wanted said about him was that he was ‘rotten to the core.’ A sinner saved by grace [in his late teen years] in the back of Riley’s Paint Store in Shinnston, West Virginia, who continued to be overwhelmed by the love and mercy of God for nearly sixty years following.”
Steve and Sherry were married for 58 years. Sherry’s maiden name was Riley, the same as Steve’s middle name, and she was his high school sweetheart. He called her his “front street girl” because she lived in town on the second floor of her late father’s funeral home and he lived on a dairy farm. Sherry’s father died when she was young. Her widowed mother taught music in the local high school Steve and Sherry attended. Sherry has an older brother and sister. Steve’s two brothers have passed on.
Steve served in the Army under two Presidents in White House Communications before becoming a “Bible major” at Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC, and working part-time as a wallpaper hanger.
Here’s how we met: Carol, my late wife, and I were dating and working as first-year public school teachers for Greenville County, SC. Carol met Sherry — both worked as elementary school teachers — and introduced me to her and Steve and their little daughter, Kelly. Carol and I often broke up, and she’d go to the Sturm’s house to talk about our troubles. One time, Steve, in his West Virginia farm-boy way, said to Carol, “Why don’t y’all just get married and annihilate each other.”
The Sturms attended our wedding the next year (August 1970) at Bethany Baptist Church, Travelers Rest, SC, after I’d completed Army basic training.
We visited the Sturms when Steve pastored Shinns Run Baptist Church, Shinnston, West Virginia. Carol and Sherry often corresponded. Years later the Sturms moved back to Greenville, SC, and stayed in our home for several weeks (until their house was ready). They have four children: Kelly, John Michael, Steven, and Karla.
In Greenville, Sherry worked as a teacher; Steve worked at delivering parts for a company and served as one of the leaders at Hampton Park Baptist Church. In 1988, my family located in NC as I followed the “textile trail” by working in carpet manufacturing.
Once, Sherry came with their youngest, Karla, to stay overnight with us in Southern Pines, NC, That night, Carol, groaned with nausea. “You better get her to the hospital,” Sherry told me, as she recognized gall bladder trouble. She visited Carol in the hospital after surgery.
Steve and Sherry visited us several times in NC. John Fawcett wrote this song, published in 1782, “Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”
Before Carol and I moved back to Greenville County, SC, on Jan. 10, 2018, Steve visited Steven, his son, in Raleigh. After their visit, Steven drove Steve to our house, and Steve drove my extra car to Greenville. Steve and his daughter, Karla (a nurse), painted about half the interior of the Taylors, SC, house we purchased. Steve hooked up our washer.
He and Sherry, who have four grandchildren, visited us as Carol suffered from pulmonary hypertension. They served their church by visiting the elderly, and Steve played his guitar at prayer meetings. They spoke at Carol’s funeral (Jan. 15, 2019) and visited me at my home after Carol passed. Steve would bring his guitar when he came by himself to my Taylors home, and we’d play together, sing hymns, and talk about the Lord.
One day, I called Steve, and he told me about his sudden cancer diagnosis. “I’m at the front of the line for the Glory Train,” he said. About two weeks later, he called and asked to borrow the music stand we’d shared when we sang together at my house before COVID-19 stopped our visits. He wanted to sing as long as he could and thought the stand might help. Barbara (my wife as of June 14, 2020) and I took the stand to his house and sat with Steve and Sherry on their patio for Barbara’s first and our last precious visit with him. In the printed program for Steve’s memorial service, his children wrote, “Dad continued to lead us in worship over the five weeks of his illness … All the hymns about Grace have brought us comfort.”
Steve’s obituary said about him: “Mountaineer, and recipient of the West Virginia Golden Horseshoe award. Dairy farmer who hated getting up early. Loved and was loved by many good ‘hound dogs.’ Veteran of the US Army. Graduated with honors from Bob Jones University, undergraduate and Master’s Degree. Hunter, fisherman, photographer, map collector, expert wallpaper hanger. Musician and vocalist until his final breath. Dedicated scholar. Avid reader. Voracious Learner. Great pontificator. Lifelong student and teacher of the Scriptures. ‘Pastor Sturm.’ Counselor, encourager, and friend to many.”
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