Warren E. Stremming
Born: 07/28/1921
Died: 02/17/2006
Place of Birth: Burlington, Iowa
Raised to Master Mason: Raised to Master
In Lodge: Lodge Raised In
Served as Worshipful Master: 1994
Bio: Stremming worked for 50 different newspapers throughout his career from the Washington Post in the East to the San Francisco Chronicle in the West with many stops in between. At the Des Moines Register and Tribune he learned sign language for the deaf so he could hire people with impaired hearing. "They are easier to work with because the composing room is such a noisy place," he explained. "I can talk to them in sign language clear across the room." At the Hawaii Newspaper Agency, he helped guide the composing room through the difficult transition from old-fashioned hot lead type to the new cold electronic type. His even disposition and respect for his long experience bridged a gap between unions and management when automation replaced workers. A student of newspaper history, Stremming collected newspaper photos and artifacts. One of his hobbies was restoring old cars. After he retired, he and his wife drove a motor home across much of the U.S. Mainland. During his trips he picked up jalopies he found in Midwest barns and shopped for antiques in out-of-the-way stores. He was born in Burlington, Iowa, and learned the printing and composing room trades by working at numerous newspapers at a time when itinerant printers were common. A union card provided access to print shops and composing rooms throughout the nation. During World War II, Stremming compiled a distinguished military record as a lead paratrooper and forward observer with the 17th Airborne Division. He served 12 months in Europe as a corporal and was awarded three Bronze Stars and a Bronze Arrowhead for his work in the Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns. His record included 45 days in the Battle of the Bulge and two combat jumps in Holland and Germany. Stremming was a 50-year Mason

Page 92 of 104
First | Previous | Next | Last | Index