"The Longest Serving Elected Mayor In The United States"

Sherman P. Metzgar, 11/02/1939 to 4/14/2013, Rest in Peace.

Elected Mayor of Stockertown, PA from 1965 till 2013, almost 48 years.

At the viewing tonight It was brought up that he was the longest serving elected mayor in the USA. I have no doubt about that.

In 1965 my father was still a Borough Councilman. From 1969-1973 I served in the elected position of Occupation Tax Assessor. From 1971-1973 I served as the Borough Representative on the newly formed Advisory Board to the Lehigh-Northampton County Joint Planning Commission.

I was a resident of Stockertown from birth till the mid 70's. Sherman though not born in the Borough was an almost lifelong resident. Sherman was 2 years older than my oldest brother and I first remember him as Den Chief of my mother's Cub Scout Den when I was a Cub. I can remember my two older brothers going to Scout camp and fishing with Sherman. He was a founder of the Stockertown Youth Asssociation, sponsors of the local little and intermediate league baseball teams. I can remember the first 2 years we only had green and yellow tee shirts and caps. Later on we had full uniforms. Among many other things he was Scoutmaster of the local Boy Scout Troop. Sherman was the driving force behind the Borough's annual picnic. If you attended you would not be surprised to meet and recognize someone you had not seen in 50 years. When my mother could no longer maintain her own garden, Sherman would be sharing from his garden with her as well as many others in town. I last spoke with Sherman a few months ago at a Borough Council meeting I attended to finalize an agricultural subdivision.

Hometown blues, sigh.

Paul in PA