Contributing Writer

Walking into Jim and Ellen Steinbach's house, a first time visitor might picture them as a retired couple who has built a cozy and welcoming home. You would note the profusion of family pictures and assume that the people occupying the home had a warm relationship with their children. You would see a beautiful garden that showed obvious signs of care and assume someone enjoyed working in the garden. You would see a golf cart and clubs in the garage and know at least one occupant enjoyed golf.

While most of the observations and impressions would be correct, one thing the casual observer couldn't know is that there is nothing retired about either of the Steinbachs.

There are those in the community who make a big difference unobtrusively. They may be involved in their church, teaching classes, visiting those who are unable to attend church or helping in the church office. They may be active in the political arena, working to elect people who they feel would be good for the community or working with those in office regarding problems. There are some who take on the challenge of helping the youth through organized sports. Some take on the challenge of visiting nursing homes or working to support various charities.

Jim and Ellen Steinbach have made their mark in all of these arenas.

Both are active in their church, The Catholic Church of St. Gabriel. Ellen is a Lector, a Eucharist Minister and works on the telephone ministry. She, also with Jim, sorts, labels and shelves the church library.

Jim sings tenor in the choir and is a Eucharist Minister with specific focus on the ministry to those home bound, in nursing homes or assisted-care facilities. Jim also facilitates adult religious education classes. He is developing a program to capture the history of the parish of St. Gabriel. Jim's plan is to write the annual history and then, down the road, the writing of a 10- or 20-year history will be much easier to accomplish.

Jim is well-known to most of the elected officials in the county. He regularly attends City Council and County Commission meetings. He frequently drops a note or makes a call to inform various community leaders of potential problems or to let them know his feelings on a subject. He is respectful and promotes his views not for personal gain, but from a genuine concern for the community and the individuals who make up the community. He tries to keep things "in perspective" and tackles problems with "some moderation." Ellen acts as "editor" and "devil's advocate" in his writing endeavors.

The Steinbachs are registered Republicans, but in fact they can best be described as Independent as they freely voice Democratic views. Like many others, "vote for the person, not the party." Retired from the Army and government service, Jim recently expanded his active interests into local politics when he was asked by Vivian Conduff and Carol Fritz to help on their political campaigns. He also worked on Greg Dunn's successful Republican campaign for County Commissioner. Not being a "dyed-in-wool" Republican earned him a lot of good-natured ribbing which he says he took well. On election night the Dunn campaign presented Jim with a certificate deeming him a "100 percent Certifiable Republican."

Community activism is important to both, but family and relaxation time are also extremely important. Jim is an avid golfer, ignoring the handicap of his artificial hip, playing regularly with friends Bill Nigro, Greg Dunn, Mike Riley and Bill Alsmeyer.

"I go out there to have a good time," Jim said. "If I hit the high 90s it's okay. I'm a little blue in the 100s and an occasional high 80s score really pleases me."

Friend Bill Nigro commented on Jim's golfing prowess saying, "During the last seven years I have had the pleasure of playing golf with Jim on a weekly basis. My children will be eternally grateful for Jim's weekly contribution to their educational fund."

Ellen enjoys yard work, calling the yard "her palette." Jim proudly pointed out the improvements she has made to the property, expanding the yard back to the property line, adding pine islands, planting bushes and various color pots throughout the area.

"We also feed the wildlife with bird feeders and remark on the number of deer now munching out and enjoying nearby shrubs," Ellen said.

Ellen is an avid reader of mystery and suspense novels and likes to knit. She also likes to paint and would someday like to take some art lessons. She also has volunteered at the Peachtree City Library for a number of years.

Both have been members of Club Peachtree Fitness Center for the past five years. They "try to work out at least twice a week if possible." Health is important to both of the Steinbachs and they believe in taking care of themselves and trying to eat right.

Jim said, "With the grace of God and with good health, we would like to continue to travel and to make a contribution to St. Gabriel, Peachtree City and Fayette County."

"I think you need to be active to keep young. I think you have to be willing to be active, too."

Ellen quipped, "When I go, I want to go alive, not dead already."

Health became a higher priority for both when Jim had a series of minor strokes in November 1995 while working as a policy officer for Headquarters FORSCOM at Fort McPherson. Jim's doctor told him it was time to retire, 37 years of service was enough.

"The strokes were a shock, but it was the best thing that could have happened to me in some ways," Jim said.

He says he slowed down, noting, "I really wouldn't have stopped working. I was staying late, getting in early and without the strokes I would have kept on."

Jim's "slow mode" is faster than most people's fast mode. He is known for getting involved, for his philosophy of "doing the best you can do if you're going to take on a project." The distinction for Jim seems to be that he was "working" prior to the strokes, and now he is "retired."

"My parents gave me my personal philosophy," Jim noted. "All people have possibilities to be a good listener, to be interested in others. You can't judge a book by its cover. From my years in the military I learned that if you're involved with anything, you should participate to the best of your ability. Don't stand on the sidelines carping about why you like or don't like it adds nothing."

Since the strokes, Jim has continued to work on an occasional basis for friend Bill Nigro, doing some technical typing. He volunteered at the Olympics as a security guard. He is an avid Internet user, taking advantage of e-mail to keep in touch with friends he made at the Olympics, in the military and while on assignment to NATO. He uses the Internet as a tool, also, to research information and lights up when talking about the imminent purchase of a new computer and scanner.

The Steinbachs "love to travel." They recently returned from a 12-day visit to Ireland and have traveled to New Zealand on a number of occasions together and separately to visit daughter, Therese and her family. They also welcome visits to and from their other children living in the Northeast and Marietta, Ga.

When discussing their lives Ellen and Jim are very upbeat.

"I look back on my life and feel I am fulfilling my potential and anticipate continuing to do so," Ellen said. "I don't have any regrets; well, other than minor things like I wish we had bricked the entire house. I did the best I could do at the time I was doing it. Life continues to offer new and different challenges."

Jim stated, "I have no regrets. My 28 years of active military service was a great experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Later he noted, "If I had one wish for people, it would be that they had time to just stop and appreciate what they have."

It is apparent that Jim and Ellen Steinbach have taken time to stop and appreciate what they have. But they take it one step further they work to keep what they appreciate and to make it better.

The Steinbach "merger"

Ellen was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1933, the youngest of three children. She attended Catholic schools, graduating in 1950. Ellen's mother died shortly after her graduation from high school, profoundly changing the direction of Ellen's life. College was no longer even a remote option. She had taken a college prep track in high school and found that she needed some business skills in order to work. She started as a file clerk with an insurance company while taking shorthand and typing courses at the Baltimore YMCA Business School. She then worked checking advertising copy for the telephone companies in Maryland and later as a secretary.

"As a file clerk I think I made about 75 cents an hour, which was minimum wage," she reminisced. "My shorthand never was that great either."

In 1956, Ellen's father died. Within the year, Ellen married and moved to the Akron, Ohio area and embarked on a new venture as working wife and then mother. The couple had Lori in 1961 and Janice two years later in 1963. Along the way, job changes moved the family to Dover, Del., and later to Hagerstown, Md.

While in Dover, Ellen fulfilled a lifelong dream she enrolled in college and earned her degree. While she actually took most of her courses at Delaware State College, she received her degree in English from Hood College in Frederick, Md. After receiving her degree, she worked for a local junior college.

When her girls were in the early grades, Ellen was a Girl Scout leader and, as the girls grew up, a swim team mother and swim team records volunteer as well as "chief chauffeur."

While in Hagerstown, Ellen became more involved in the local church, teaching third grade religious education initially. Later she became the Principal of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) Sunday School. After she and her husband divorced, Ellen applied for and received an annulment of the marriage.

She and Jim had met through the church as Jim was teaching in the upper grades and had Lori in one of his classes. After their separate annulments, the two connected and later married each other with the blessing of the Catholic church.

Jim was born in Evanston, Ill., but was raised in Chicago. He attended Catholic grammar school and the Loyola Academy, a Jesuit Prep School then located on the northside of Chicago.

He attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1957. While there he met his first wife who was attending a local women's college. In 1958, he joined the Army and a year later they married. Jim began his military career with an assignment to Ft. Lee, Va., then transferred to Ft. Ord, Calif. Their next duty station was Ft. Devins, Mass., where Jim volunteered for Vietnam.

In Vietnam, Jim served as a signal advisor to the Vietnamese Rangers. After Vietnam, he returned to Ft. Monmouth, N.J., where he attended Signal Officer Advanced School. His next duty stop was Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburgh where he taught military science. While assigned there he attended night school and completed course work for a Master of Arts in History. History is Jim's "quiet-time" hobby.

From Pittsburgh, Jim was shipped to Korea where he was a Battalion Executive Officer. In 1969, he returned to the states as Director of Communication Operations at the Alternate National Military Command Center near Fort Richie and Camp David, Md., near Hagerstown, Md. Over the years and many assignments, the family continued to grow Steve and Chris, born in California, Therese in Cincinnati, Greg in Pittsburgh and Mara in Hagerstown.

With the family now living in Hagerstown, Jim was able to reduce the uprooting of the family. He traveled to assignments at Carlisle Barracks, Penn., Fort Leavenworth, Kan., the Center of Military History in Washington, D.C., President Carter Discharge Review Board in D.C., and then returned to Fort Richie as the Executive Officer to the Commanding General.

In Hagerstown, Jim became active in coaching little league football and baseball. Jim's Catholic faith had always been a large part of his life. He began participating in church activities beyond Sunday Mass. In 1969 he started teaching Sunday School and in 1974 he began bringing the Eucharist and reading Scripture to those in nursing homes and the homebound.

"I strongly believe that each Catholic Christian needs to actively demonstrate the core elements of their faith," said Jim. "We need to be willing to share our beliefs that the Lord cares and blesses us each in a special way."

Thus, while in Hagerstown, he noted that there were no men teaching Sunday School, Jim decided to do something about it and began teaching sixth and seventh graders. He continues to teach today, although he has limited his programs to facilitating spiritual book reading programs for adults. However, he has been pressed into service on occasion for a teen class.

After Jim's first marriage was annulled, he began dating Ellen and later the two married in 1979.

"I was very blessed and fortunate to find Ellen," Jim said. "While we are different in how we approach problems, we share the same vision in our faith and our personal life."

Two shall become one

With the "merger" of the two families came many new challenges. Jim's two oldest boys and Ellen's daughters, all older teenagers, went through some interesting adjustments as they all worked to become a united family.

Today Jim notes, "Ellen and I are mother and father to the young people, but we're also friends."

In 1981 Jim and Ellen made the choice to accept a NATO assignment in Belgium. Three of the children were already in college and Janice was soon to start her freshmen year. The Steinbachs took advantage of the years in Belgium and "had a great time."

A friend suggested they make a plan as to what they would like to see as time would go very quickly. Making a plan and sticking to it fell right in with the pair's nature. Jim quotes a military maxim that has served him well, "Plan your work and work your plan." Over their three years in Europe they had many Sunday visits to Paris, and trips to the Netherlands, France, (Western) Germany, England, Scotland and Italy.

They enjoyed working with people from all the NATO nations, many of whom they still correspond with today. Ellen worked for the PX system at Chevres Air Force Base in Belgium, supervising the concession shops such as the flower shop, gift shop, barber shop, dry cleaners and theater.

Upon completion of the assignment, the couple returned to live in the Sunbelt. They chose the Atlanta area for a number of reasons. By then their children had "spread out all over the country," so the proximity of a major airport was important. The climate was another enticement. They moved to Riverdale and later moved to Peachtree City when Riverdale became congested.

Asked why they chose Peachtree City, Jim laughed and said, "The moderate rate of growth!" He and Ellen gave a variety of reasons including the golf courses, the general peacefulness of the community and the underground utilities.

They were also able to build their first home. They worked with Mike Rossetti and Raven Homes to build the home they currently live in and share with their two cats, La Bouche (the mouth) and La Belle (the beautiful).

The Steinbachs complement each other's personalities. Ellen is more apt to "be reserved, yet by the same token, I don't believe in letting an opportunity pass." Jim laughingly tuned in, "She is very circumspect as opposed to her very reserved husband."

Jim is a thinker and a doer, yet his natural enthusiasm and curiosity about life are evident in the way he steps out and gets involved immediately. Ellen is very reflective, thus their different personalities sometimes lead to lively discussions or what friend Greg Dunn calls, "Powerphonics." They bounce ideas off each other and exhibit a very visible respect for the other's point of view.

BOX INSETS AROUND/THROUGH THE ARTICLE ON THE STEINBACHS

Greg Dunn, Fayetteville

"Jim and Ellen are a tremendous couple. Intelligence, wit (with just right touch of sarcasm), hard work and a rare sense of caring about people other than themselves, mark them as a powerful force for good in our community. Countless numbers of people have benefitted as a direct result of their selfless efforts in St. Gabriel Catholic Church and in local political activism.

I am grateful for their unqualified support and continuous efforts during my recent political campaign and honored by their generous friendship of many years.

Fayette County is a better place to live because Jim and Ellen Steinbach are among us.

P.S. Besides my mother, Jim is the only Democrat who get to fuss at me whenever he pleases... and he "pleases" on a daily basis!"

Wayne & Elaine Cox, Fayetteville

"Our friendship goes back a ways to our early Army career together. They are just a great couple. Jim's an old war horse who gets involved and get the job done and done in a professional manner. A soldier and a scholar who's name and stamp appear on numerous documents, both government and otherwise. Now he and Ellen are making a significant contribution to the civilian community. Getting involved, doing the research work, helping to ensure that issues are addressed adequately, and properly and timely actions are taken by responsible parties. They are indeed good citizens - a matched pair of bookends dedicated to family, friends, church, community and nation.

Father Timothy Hepburn, St. Gabriel Catholic Church "The Steinbach's have servants hearts. They are behind the scenes and receive little recognition as they serve the Lord. They are prayerful thinkers. They really explore their faith and don't let it just sit there. Not only are they generous with their time, but they are generous with their friendship."

Annie McMenamin, City Council, Peachtree City "As you go through life you meet people who, for whatever reason, you gravitate towards. Jim Steinbach is one of these people. I admit, when we talk I'm standing at attention waiting for the 'at ease' command. But in a short amount of time I have come to trust Jim and rely on his input, perceptions and ideas. He is a valuable resource that I know I can depend on."

J. D. Holmes, owner of Club Peachtree Fitness Center "Jim and Ellen have been members of Club Peachtree for a number of years. They are a thoroughly delightful couple. With their military background, it's not surprising that they are dedicated to an exercise regimen, and that they encourage others to join them. I have enjoyed many discussions with them on politics and other subjects. I have a lot of respect for them and I value the input they have given to me on a variety of subjects over the years."

Carol Fritz, City Council, Peachtree City "I met Jim a couple of years ago through various groups in Peachtree City. I consider it a privilege to call him and his wife, Ellen, my friends. Jim's integrity and honesty are without question and should be goals we all aspire to live by. I know I can always count on that honesty and integrity when I ask him for feedback on an issue. The Steinbachs have been a very positive asset to this community, and we are very lucky to have them living here."

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