Joseph Stauffer

{{short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image = Joseph Emmett Stauffer PAA A2702.jpg

| imagesize =

| name = Joseph Emmett Stauffer

| caption =

| birth_name=

| birth_date ={{Birth date|1874|10|29}}

| birth_place =Manassas, Virginia, United States

| death_date = {{death date and age|1917|4|10|1874|10|29}}

| death_place=Vimy, France

| residence =

| office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Didsbury

| term_start = March 22, 1909

| term_end = April 10, 1917

| predecessor =New District

| successor =Henry B. Atkins

| party =Liberal

| religion =

| spouse=

| children=

| occupation =Teacher, soldier

{{Infobox military person

|embed = yes

|embed_title =

|allegiance = {{flag|Canada|1868}}

|branch = Canadian Expeditionary Force

|serviceyears = 1916-1917

|rank = Lieutenant

|unit = 50th Battalion

}}

}}

Lieutenant Joseph Emmett Stauffer (October 29, 1874 – April 10, 1917) was a teacher, politician and soldier from Alberta.{{cite book |last1=Mardon |first1=Ernest G |last2=Mardon |first2=Austin A |title=The Liberals in Power in Alberta 1905-1921 |year=2012 |publisher=Golden Meteorite Press |isbn=9781897480083 |page=79 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PhfHAwAAQBAJ&q=joseph+emmett+stauffer+1874&pg=PA78 |access-date=18 October 2015}}

Early life

Stauffer was born October 29, 1874, in Manassas, Virginia, to parents of German-Swiss ancestry.{{cite journal |editor1-last=Chambers |editor1-first=Ernest J. |editor1-link=Ernest J. Chambers |title=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide |journal=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide = Guide Parlementaire Canadien |date=1916 |publisher=Mortimer Company Ltd. |location=Ottawa |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianparliame1914unse |access-date=August 9, 2020 |issn=0315-6168 |oclc=266967058 |page=[https://archive.org/details/canadianparliame1916unse/page/454 454]}} He moved to Canada at a young age with his family, and was educated at Berlin, Ontario. He married Emma Ernst. Stauffer worked as a real estate agent, forest ranger, and Homestead Inspector.

Political career

Stauffer was elected to the Alberta Legislature in the 1909 Alberta legislature. In that election he defeated incumbent Cornelius Hiebert in a landslide in the new Didsbury district.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1909&Constit=Didsbury| title=Didsbury Official Results 1909 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=May 21, 2020}}

He was re-elected to a second term in office in the 1913 Alberta legislature, winning with a comfortable but reduced plurality.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1913&Constit=Didsbury| title=Didsbury Official Results 1913 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | access-date=May 21, 2020}}

Military career

Stauffer enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and served overseas with the Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment) 50th Battalion in World War I. He kept his seat in the provincial legislature while he was overseas fighting in the war. On April 10, 1917, he was killed in action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge.{{cite web | url=http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=collections/virtualmem/Detail&casualty=1576110 | title = Joseph Emmett Stauffer service record | publisher = Veterans Affairs Canada | access-date = 2007-08-02}}{{cite news |title=Many Homes Here Suffer Bereavement |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Pr9jAAAAIBAJ&pg=1176%2C4521663 |access-date=December 27, 2020 |work=Calgary Herald |date=April 20, 1917 |page=4}}

Lieutenant Governor Robert Brett honored Stauffer's memory and military service by making special note in the Throne Speech at the opening of the 4th Alberta Legislative Assembly on February 7, 1918.{{cite web | url = http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/law/page.aspx?id=3466965 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120908230108/http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/law/page.aspx?id=3466965 | url-status = dead | archive-date = September 8, 2012 | title = Speech from the throne | date = February 7, 1918 | publisher = Legislative Assembly of Alberta | access-date = 2007-08-02 }}

The small town of Stauffer, Alberta is named in his honor.{{cite web | url = https://www.ualberta.ca/~german/PAA/Placenames.htm | title = German place names and topographical names in Alberta | publisher = University of Alberta | access-date = 2007-08-02 | archive-date = 2011-05-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110521100406/http://www.ualberta.ca/~german/PAA/Placenames.htm | url-status = dead }}

References

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