The Descendants of John Stafford Perrin, 1795-1874.

41. Shirley Ann STURMAN (Marguerite STURMAN¹⁸, Martha E PERRIN⁴, Daniel S², John Stafford¹)

43. Gloria Joyce STURMAN (Raymond Charles STURMAN¹⁹, Martha E PERRIN⁴, Daniel S², John Stafford¹)

Gloria married James Richard WAGGENER, Jr. [5744] [MRIN: 3135]. James was born on 23 Oct 1920 in Detroit Wayne Co. Michigan USA and died on 16 May 1992 in Pleasant Ridge Oakland Co. Michigan USA at age 71.

General Notes: Details for James, provided by rick Waggener are as follows:

"Notes for JAMES RICHARD WAGGENER, JR.:
My father, James Richard "Jim" Waggener Jr., was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. He was my grandparent's second oldest child, and the first one born to them after my grandfather returned from World War I. A couple of years later, the family moved to Royal Oak, Michigan, which was about 10-12 miles north of Detroit. During the Great Depression of the early 1930's, my grandparent's were apparently unable to care for so many children, and sent several of their children away to live with different relatives. Jim lived for a while with his mother's brother William Henderson in Hollywood, California. He attended Hollywood High School there for at least one year. I think he also lived briefly with one or more of his father's sisters. He returned to Royal Oak and finished high school there in what must have been 1937 or 1938.

After high school, he worked for a while for the Western Electric Company. In 1942, a few months after the U.S. entered World War II, he joined the U.S. Navy. He was initially a member of the Navy Seabees, and was based in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. I remember that he used to talk about the fierce storms with the "Will-o-wisp" winds, and the huge Kodiak Bears. All in all, I don't think he was too fond of his assignment in Alaska. He took the test to become an officer, and was accepted into the "V-12" program for commissioned officers. This program involved him being allowed to attend the college of his choice. He chose Harvard and was accepted. He attended Harvard for 2 years, and was commissioned an Ensign, several months before the war ended. Among his classmates at Harvard was the future Senator, Robert Kennedy. Jim finished the war in an assignment as a Supply Officer in the Philippines. After the war he remained in the Naval Reserve for almost 20 years, although the Navy discharged him before he was able to earn a retirement. He never did finish his college education, and I'm not sure why, because I believe he always regretted not doing so.

Also after the war, Jim became an apprentice electrician. He basically worked the rest of his career as a Journeyman Electrician, although I'm not sure he was completely happy with that either. In the early 1960's, he tried to start a business of dredging peat moss out of Michigan lakes. This failed through an apparent combination of bad luck and poor people skills. He ended up having to sell the dredge he had built, after only a short time of actual dredging.

In the mid-1960's, Jim tried to start another company called Soilganics, a sort of off-shoot from all he had learned from the dredging business. He was going to sell soil products like peat moss, and provide information about improving soils and growing various kinds of plants. It was an idea that was probably 15-20 years ahead of it's time. In the process of trying to get the business going, he had what I believe was a nervous breakdown. He never really recovered from this, and was never really the same person. He was diagnosed with Manic-Depressive Disease, or what is now called Bi-Polar Disorder. He was actually one of the first subjects with this disorder to be given Lithium for it. The Lithium actually seemed to work with him, but unfortunately he wouldn't take the Lithium regularly.

Jim worked irregularly for the next 10-15 years. Although he was subsequently able to retire more or less comfortably with the Electrical Workers Local #58's retirement, the last 20-25 years of his life were quite turbulent. He literally dropped dead of a heart attack in 1992. His remains were cremated, but were later buried near his parent's in the St. Patrick's Parish Cemetery in Carleton, Monroe County, Michigan.

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From the 1930 Federal Census of Royal Oak City, Royal Oak Township, Oakland County, Michigan, taken April 9, 1930, district 63-107, sheet 4B, household #399, address- 319 Houstonia Avenue; from ancestry.com, image #18 of 29. Jim is listed in the household of his parents:

------ James R. Jr.; son, male, age- 9, in school, born- Michigan, father born- Missouri, mother born- Michigan

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From Michigan Department of Vital and Health Records. Michigan Death Index, 1971-96 [database on-line] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1998:

Surname: WAGGENER JR Given Name: James Initial: R
Sex: Male
Day of Birth: 23
Month of Birth: October
Year of Birth: 1920
Day of Death: 16
Month of Death: May
Year of Death: 1992
City of Residence: Pleasant Ridge
County of Residence: Oakland
State of Residence: Michigan
City of Death: Pleasant Ridge
County of Death: Oakland
State of Death: Michigan
Death Certificate No.: 029782

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Jim ashes are buried next to his parents in the newest cemetery of the St. Patrick's Parish Church in Exeter Township, Monroe County, Michigan. His headstone reads:

James R Waggener Jr
Lt US Navy
World War II
Sept 23, 1920 May 16, 1992"

44. Robert STURMAN (Raymond Charles STURMAN¹⁹, Martha E PERRIN⁴, Daniel S², John Stafford¹)

45. Richard STURMAN (Raymond Charles STURMAN¹⁹, Martha E PERRIN⁴, Daniel S², John Stafford¹)

49. Mary Madeline STURMAN (Perrin E STURMAN²⁰, Martha E PERRIN⁴, Daniel S², John Stafford¹)

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The Descendants of John Stafford Perrin, 1795-1874.

Fifth Generation