MACK for MAYOR

June 21, 2011

I am the son of Earl Robert Steffen, a Jasper native, and Dorothy "Dot" Beverly (McCallister), Steffen a Dale, Indiana native. I was born in Memorial Jasper on August 18, 1955 and was given the name of Jeffrey Mack Steffen. My middle name was in honor of my fallen grandfather (read on, please). My father passed away in 2008 at the age of 91. My mother died in 1978 at the age of 58. I grew up a 509 West Fifth St. in Jasper, where the Fifth Street School expansion now sits.

I have three children, a daughter Lauren Nicole Steffen of Indianapolis, whose mother was a Montgomery, Indiana native and a son, Jared Mack Steffen, who resides with his mother in Evansville. She is an Evansville, Indiana native. I also have a daughter, whom, against my wishes, was given up for adoption by her mother, a Jasper resident at the time. I am hopeful I will be reunited with her someday.

I am the owner of Mack Trading Company of Indiana, LLC on the square in Jasper. Mack Trading buys and sells precious metals, rare and common coins and offers all supplies one would expect to find at southern Indiana's largest coin shop. Mack Trading draws business into Jasper, not only from many communities in southern, but all parts of Indiana. Mack Trading has had customers in its shop on many occasions from Illinois, Kentucky, and even Ohio.

I have four siblings, of which three survive. I would first like to pay respect to my brother Carl who passed away in 2007. A life-long resident of Jasper, he was employed by Jasper Stylemasters until losing four fingers on his left hand in an accident while running a shaping machine. He then worked for many years as a postal carrier until his retirement. Carl was an avid golfer and was widely known throughout Jasper. His loving widow is Linda Steffen. Linda and Carl had two sons, Carl, Jr. and Doug; and a daughter Starr.

My mother had one child that was stillborn. I have two surviving brothers, John Earl "Tex" Steffen, of Bellevue, Illinois and Michael Everette "Spike" Steffen of Jasper. A sister, Jane Elizabeth Wilson lives in Prattville, Alabama.

I grew up in Jasper and have worked here all of my life. I have lived in Jasper all of my life with the exception of living in Newburg and Evansville, Indiana for about three years each. This was in the 90's. I returned to Jasper after leaving Evansville and settled in the house my grandfather helped build for his family in 1929. The address of my house is 505 West Sixth Street. My residence is approximately 40 yards almost directly in front of where I grew up.

On my father's side, my great grandfather Steffen emigrated from Germany. My grandfather came to Jasper from Evansville with my grandmother. Grandmother and great grandmother (Hoepner) were also immigrants from Germany and arrived in the U.S. together.

My grandfather and grandmother Steffen moved to Jasper after an offer of employment by Hoosier Desk Company, whose building still sits on the east side of the first block of South Mill Street in 'Old Jasper'. Grandfather was a self-taught chemist who developed several furniture finishes that were patented by Hoosier Desk in the 1920's and 1930's.

On mother's side, great grandmother, whom our family knows little about, may have also emigrated from Germany. Grandmother McCallister was born a U.S. citizen. My great grandfather on my mother's side emigrated from, I believe, Ireland. My grandfather was Walter McCallister. He was the Dale, Indiana sheriff until shot and killed in the line of duty during a disturbance at a Dale tavern on Christmas Eve in 1925.

My father was a 25+ year factory floor employee for JOFCO and worked at the original factory on 13^th. and Vine Streets in Jasper. Prior to employment there, dad helped build Jasper High School where Central Green Park now is. An unusual and interesting fact about my father is that he never drove a vehicle. He either walked the mile to work at JOFCO everyday, but normally was picked up by co-workers on the corner of 6^th. and St. John Streets where the flashing caution light is as one would turn south go to Alumni Stadium.

My mother spent most of her life as a homemaker, but did own one of Jasper's past landmarks, The Diner, on South Main St. for a period of time. The Diner was the gathering spot for local, county, and local state police personnel. I could always find one or more of these fine individuals sitting and talking to mom whenever I would go there to eat or play one of the few 5-cent pinball machines in Jasper. Mother had bought The Diner from Irene Kruger, and then resold it to her because of serious health problems after suffering injuries in a car accident at 3rd and Jackson Streets, the site of a former car lot.

Much more will follow as I continue to tell you about your next Mayor, Mack.

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