John Merle Stoll has been chosen as the 2012 Honorary Mayor of Linthicum. This is a unique opportunity to honor a nonagenarian who has an amazing family history with Linthicum and who has shared his love and knowledge of the local history with literally thousands of people.John was born on March 15, 1918. He is the 11th generational descendent of Major General John Hammond, a lineage that goes back to the 1600s. He is the great-grandson of Sarah Linthicum Shipley, and his great-uncle, John Edward Stoll, lived in the farmhouse now owned by the Daliks. This house was featured on the 2008 Linthicum Historic House Tour where John spent the day as the docent sharing Linthicum history with the many visitors. Medora Road is named for his great-aunt Medora Radecke Stoll. His great-grandfather was Rezin Hammond whose house, Sunnyfields, still stands on Hammonds Lane. John grew up on Snow Hill Farm, originally called Jackson’s Chance, built by Colonel Charles Hammond on Old Ordnance Road where his father was a farmer. The 100-year-old farmhouse where John had lived since childhood was demolished in 1969 to make way for a state road to extend the Baltimore Beltway to the Key Bridge. John reluctantly accepted the state’s monetary offer rather than lose the property to eminent domain. Wanting to stay close to the Linthicum community, John and his fam-ily moved to a 1910 house on Arundel Road.
John graduated from Glen Burnie High School in 1938. This was during the depres-sion and he worked odd jobs at local busi-nesses such as Hutzler’s and Davidson Chemical. He worked for a time at the Benson-Hammond House farm as a farmhand. His pay was $10 a week plus room and board. John served his country in World War II in the Army Air Corps. He spent 2½ years in the China, Burma and India Campaign. His 7th bomb group received three Presidential Unit Citations during the war. John worked for the American Oil Company (AMOCO) for 44 years until his retirement.
Stoll, who is 93, is a member of the Linthicum-Shipley Improvement Association, AARP #3850 and the Ann Arrundell County Historical Society. What makes him so unique is that he has verbally shared his wealth of knowledge of this community, farming in Anne Arundel County, and his memories of a bygone era with countless people. John attributes his remarkable memory to having to learn poetry every week during the 4th grade. He can still recite those poems! Until very recently John was a docent at the Benson-Hammond House and it was in this venue, during tours and special events, that he was able to share and make this history come alive for those visitors. John’s taped interviews by college students are at Gettysburg College, and his interviews regarding the World War II Veterans Project are stored in the Library of Congress. John has dedicated much of his time to sharing Linthicum history and we are pleased to have such a remarkable honorary mayor as Linthicum Patriarch, John M. Stoll.
Bernadette (Bernie) Simon will be serving as Deputy Mayor. Bernie has lived in Lin-thicum for over 25 years. She was the Linthicum Community columnist in The Maryland Gazette for seven years. She has served two terms as the president of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Linthicum Heights, Inc. and is the current president of the Southern District of the Maryland Federation of Women’s Clubs. Her work with the woman’s club includes volunteering with the Education Committee where she assists with the student writing contests and volunteers for student events at the schools. She is presently Publicity Chairman of the club and is a member of the North County Business Advisory Board. Bernie is a former organist at St. Philip Neri Church. She is a long-standing member of the Community Fair Planning Committee. She serves as assistant to the fair chairman, doing whatever job needs to be done. She chairs the Publicity Committee, sending notices to committee members and press releases to the newspapers.
Bernie chairs the Honorary Mayor and the Pastor Gilroy Award Committees, receiving nominations, organizing the selection committee, notifying the selected candidates, and announcing their selection at the fair. It was necessary to have a secret meeting without her this year due to her being placed in nomination! She handles getting medallions and trophies for the honorees, as well as having their names added to the plaques hanging at the Linthi-cum Luncheteria and St. John Lutheran Church. Bernie has served as chair of the entertainment for the fair. Two years ago she added the children’s entertainment area that featured children’s performances. In 2007-2008 she served on the Linthicum Centennial Committee and was the recording secretary. Bernie is a devoted community volunteer, helping those in need and supporting various groups in the community.
