John Mathias Steinhauer, Jr

John Mathias Steinhauer, Jr. was born in Nashville, Tennessee on Thursday, July 23, 1925, to Johnny Steinhauer and Gertrude Garretty Steinhauer. He was the third child and first son. He grew up in East Nashville with his sisters Katherine (Coffey) and Martha (Shaw) and led a very typical early 20th century life with his policeman father and homemaking mother. This all changed in the summer of 1932, when, at the age of 7, John contracted what was then known as Infantile Paralysis (Polio).
As his father was a beloved Nashville City police officer who directed traffic on church street in Nashville, several prominent Nashville businessmen appealed directly to President Franklin Roosevelt for admission to his Warm Springs Georgia treatment center on behalf of his son. John was admitted for treatment and spent almost a year at Warm Springs. FDR was in his first term as President and visited Warm Springs for his own treatment four times during that year where John got to swim and dine with the President, and was even taken for a ride in the President's car into the village of Warm Springs for ice cream. John never let the limitations of living the rest of his life with a full leg brace slow him down in any facet of his life.
John graduated from East High School in Nashville. He served as class President and was active in all aspects of the life of the school. East High and the Alumni Association remained a passion for John throughout his life. In the fall of 1951, on a train trip to Atlanta to watch Vanderbilt play Georgia Tech, Nashville Banner columnist, Red O'Donnell introduced John to Jane Hagewood, also from East Nashville. They were married on June 21, 1952. Their first daughter, Joni, was born in 1953 and son, Matt (John III), was born in 1955.
The next year John and Jane moved their young family to Hendersonville and built a house on what would soon be the shores of Old Hickory Lake. Daughter, Janet, came soon after the move in 1957, and a few years later, son Steven in 1961, and daughter, Julie in 1965. Initially, Jane and John continued their interest in the Nashville community, but as their children entered Hendersonville Elementary School, it became obvious that they needed to invest their time and efforts to help strengthen their newly adopted town.
John and Jane worked tirelessly to open opportunities for people who lived in Hendersonville. He organized the Evening Sertoma Club; worked with six other families to start St. Timothy Lutheran Church, where he served as chair of the building committee, taught Sunday school, and served on the congregational council.
After working his way into the community, John ran for elected office in 1964 to represent Sumner County in the Tennessee State Legislature. He lost that election but was elected two years later. Altogether, John served four terms in the legislature and one term as Chief Bill Clerk. During his freshman year, he sponsored the PKU Bill which required all newborns to have a simple, inexpensive test to help identify babies who could begin immediate treatment to prevent mental retardation. This procedure is still being used today. Additionally, a test to detect hypo-thyroidism in newborns was enacted into legislation because of his introduction of the bill. John believed that of all of the legislation that he introduced, these two remain the most important because of their humanitarian nature, helping to detect the potential for mental retardation and presenting a medical plan to prevent retardation. In the same year, he presented the bill for the State to purchase the historic Rock Castle, 18th century home to one of Hendersonville's first settlers, Daniel Smith. Soon thereafter he became active in pursuing the establishment of Volunteer State Community College. The College opened its doors in 1971. He appealed to a State committee to get approval for the Hendersonville Hospital. Having been told that it took three committees to approve the request, and being assured that it would not get passed the third committee, his plea was accepted unanimously and the new hospital was constructed. Additionally, over the years, John served as a Hendersonville City Commissioner, on the Planning Commission and the Industrial Development Board.
His additional civic involvement included being an active member of the Sertoma Club of Nashville and serving on the East Nashville Boy Scout's Board, the Easter Seals Board of Directors for the State of Tennessee, The United Cerebral Palsy Board of Directors, where he served as president, and he continued to be active in the East Nashville High School Alumni Association right up to his death.
John's vocational life included opening and running Hendersonville's first optical shop, a telephone answering service, and a public relations firm. He and attorney Dennis Sanders and Mike Flemming applied for to the FCC and were granted a license to operate Hendersonville's first FM radio station: WHVT (now 92Q). He spent 25 years in the insurance business representing AFLAC.
Married to his wife, Jane, for 64 years, he is survived by four children: Joni Worsham (Phillip), recently retired principal of Hendersonville High School, Matt Steinhauer (Leann), Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Lebanon, Janet McCarthy (Joe, deceased), flight attendant trainer who lives in Chandler, Arizona, and Steven Steinhauer who lives in Chicago, IL. Daughter, Julie, preceded him in death. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.
Visitation will be at St. Timothy Lutheran Church 650 East Main Street Hendersonville on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 from 3pm to 8pm and on Wednesday, June 8, from 9am to 11am. The Funeral Service with Holy Communion will be at 11am at St. Timothy Lutheran Church with Pastor Lewis Groce officiating. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to St. Timothy Lutheran Church, 650 East Main, Hendersonville, TN 37075 ARRANGEMENTS ENTRUSTED TO AUSTIN & BELL 104 Sanders Ferry Road Hendersonville, TN 37075 (615)822-4442 www.austinandbell.com