Chesterfield History Buff Honored as Citizen of the Year for 2012

Chesterfield is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, but the area has been a home to many long before it formally incorporated. Preserving, documenting and sharing that history has been a life-long passion for resident Arland Stemme, who was named 2013's “Citizen of the Year" in recognition for her tireless efforts. 

Arland Stemme received the honor at a volunteer recognition dinner March 20. A citizens committee made the selection and cited Stemme’s work on several historical commissions, co-authorship of a book on the city’s history and volunteer efforts at her church and with the Red Cross.

“Arland’s tireless and selfless work, including helping educate our present and future generations about our wonderful community’s past, has had a positive impact on so many families and businesses in the area and should be an inspiration to us all,” said Judy Dierberg, a friend of Stemme’s, in a press release announcing the honor.

A resident since 1957, Stemme’s family has been involved in preserving the community’s historical heritage long before it was a city, the release said. Her roots actually go back even farther; her family helped found St. John’s United Church of Christ, where Stemme is a member and frequent volunteer, more than 120 years ago.

The press release detailed some of Stemme’s contributions to the community:

A Chesterfield resident since 1957—long before there was a Chesterfield--Arland has served as an active volunteer who has contributed a significant amount of time toward successfully preserving our community’s heritage.  She has been a member of the Chesterfield Historical Commission from 1990 - 2011, the Landmarks Preservation Commission from 2002-2006 and serves on the newly formed Chesterfield Historic Landmarks & Preservation Commission since 2011.  As a member of these groups, she helped initiate and support their various efforts and programs that have taken place through the years. She was a researcher and co-author of the book about our City’s history: Chesterfield, Missouri: From Untamed Wilderness to Thriving Municipality.  She also works on the historical calendars that are sold each year, providing research and tracking down photos of Chesterfield’s past history of people and places that shaped our community.

The Citizens of the Year award recognizes individuals for their benefit to the City of Chesterfield through volunteerism, working on community projects, and overall civic contributions to the community.  A Citizens Selection Committee comprised of citizen committee and community volunteers reviews several nominations each year and then presents a unanimous recommendation to the city council.