Historic St. Marys Lions Club artifact discovered during home renovation

Pictured are Evelyn Albers, Sawyer Lang and Dawn Reynen presenting the St. Marys Lions commemorative medallion at the club’s Jan. 6 meeting.

By Alex Hunt

A medallion tucked away for decades has finally come to light, revealing a forgotten chapter of the St. Marys Lions Club.

Sawyer Lang was working a renovation job in a St. Marys home last fall when he discovered a medallion embedded with the name Karl Sorrick inside the walls. Lang connected with Lions members and was invited to a club meeting on Jan. 6.

“When I first saw it, I thought it was a police badge,” said Lang. “It was cool to discover how connected it was to both the community and my own family. It made the discovery feel personal and connected to a bigger story.”

Lions member Dawn Reynen learned that the home belonged to charter member David R. Stevens, whose son was Lang’s father’s boss on a dairy farm. Lang’s family currently maintains friendships with Stevens’ great-grandchildren.

After researching its origin, Reynen discovered the medallion was a commemorative piece gifted to members by Lions Club International President Karl Sorrick. Visiting from Jackson, Mich., Sorrick met with Lions members at town hall on Feb. 20, 1941.

“I was sitting with former Lion Marianne Ferguson when she mentioned there was a book in our storage unit with some of the club’s history,” said Reynen. “When I looked, I found a tote full of newspaper clippings and memorabilia, along with a white binder. Inside the binder, I discovered meeting minutes that mentioned the event.”

The special occasion was attended by 200 men, including members from several Lions Clubs, along with the Rotary Club of St. Marys. Each attendee received a medallion.

Delegates in attendance came from St. Marys, Arthur, Milverton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Clinton, Goderich, Mitchell, Exeter, Stratford, London, Ingersoll, Strathroy and Sarnia.

“Our club was chartered in 1940, only a year before Sorrick paid a visit, which was the only time an international president came to St. Mayrs,” said Reynen. “Like David, the vast majority of the people who received these medallions were founding members.”

Lang has handed the medallion over to the Stevens home’s current owners, and this Friday will mark 85 years since Sorrick’s visit.

“It’s incredible to see something like this turn up after all these years,” Reynen said. “It was fascinating to see the mystery unfold.”