Sheldon M. Stiff

Sheldon Martell Stiff was born September 7, 1924, in Madison, Wisconsin, the son of Alfred and Ethel Skellinger Stiff Sr. He moved to Stoughton with his family as a child and attended Stoughton schools.

In 1943, during World War II, Stiff enlisted in the Army Air Forces. He served in Florida through 1946. Following his discharge, he received his high school equivalency diploma and returned to civilian life in the Stoughton area.

On August 3, 1946, Sheldon married Mildred Foss of Stoughton. They raised two children, Charles and Judith.

For many years Stiff worked as a machinist for Ohio Medical Company in Madison, remaining with the company until his retirement in 1987.

Stiff became a dedicated member of American Legion Post 59 and eventually served four years as its Commander. He was first elected in 1962, succeeding William Borgen after Borgen's four consecutive years in office. Under the system used in Post 59's historical records, Stiff served as Commander in 1963 and 1964.

His early command included success in one of the Legion's most important continuing responsibilities—membership. In 1962, Stiff and membership chairman Bill Borgen traveled with other Post 59 members to the annual Legion Membership Roundup in Wisconsin Rapids. There, they accepted a citation recognizing Post 59 as the first post in the district to go “over the top” of its membership goal, with 141 members paid for 1963.

Stiff remained active long after those first two years as Commander. He returned to lead Post 59 again in 1969 and, years later, served another term in 1976. His four separate years as Commander, spread across more than a decade, reflected a long commitment to the Post rather than a brief period of involvement.

The Legion remained important to Stiff even when life took him away from Wisconsin. He and Mildred later lived in Florida, where he served as a chaplain of American Legion Post 238 and was involved with Voiture No. 683 of the Forty and Eight. After returning to Wisconsin, he continued his connection with his home post in Stoughton.

Away from work and the Legion, Stiff clearly had an adventurous side. One newspaper item described the Stiff family's 5,248-mile western vacation, during which they decided to “rough it” by sleeping in their station wagon and cooking in parks along the way. Their travels included Idaho, California and Oregon, where they made a partial trek up Mount Hood. Apparently one trip wasn't enough—the newspaper reported that the family returned home already planning its next “pioneer jaunt.”

That love of travel continued later in life. Stiff's obituary recalled his enjoyment of camping in Wisconsin and visits to Disney World while living in Florida.

Sheldon and Mildred eventually returned to the Stoughton area. In addition to his American Legion memberships, Stiff was a former member of Covenant Lutheran Church.

Sheldon M. Stiff died November 13, 2001, at Skaalen Home in Stoughton at the age of 77. He was survived by Mildred, their son Charles, daughter Judith, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was buried at Eastside Cemetery with military honors provided by the Madison Area Firing Squad.

Through decades of involvement with the American Legion—including four years as Commander of Post 59 in 1963, 1964, 1969 and 1976—Sheldon Stiff maintained a connection to the organization that lasted throughout much of his adult life. Even during his years in Florida, the Legion remained part of that life, and when he returned home, so did his connection with Post 59.