- What: More papers from Joe Sharmer’s files, 1940–1952: a bank loan he and Ruby took out in 1940, his 1948 letter to voters, his 1949 pay statement as a county supervisor, a newspaper story about the Shrine circus and the advertisement for the family’s house in Planada
- Where: Planada and Merced, California
- Shared by: Laurel Sharmer and Joseph Sharmer IV
This follows Joe’s Papers, 1942–1952. Each original is shown beside its transcription. Click any image to enlarge it.
The bank loan, 1940
Laurel: “My parents took out a $1500 loan at 7% interest in 1940. This is the bank’s document.”
PROMISSORY NOTE · NO. 35065
Merced, California, July 19, 1940
On demand and if no demand be made then in payments listed below … I, we, or either of us, jointly and severally promise to pay to the order of FIRST NATIONAL BANK in Merced, at its banking house in the City of Merced, Calif. Fifteen Hundred and No/100 Dollars with interest, payable monthly, at the rate of seven per cent per annum from date …
Address: Planada, California.
Principal and interest payable at the rate of $20 per month starting Sept. 1, 1940.
Secured by deed of trust
[signed] J. Sharmer · Ruby E. Sharmer, co-maker
Amount $1500.00. Payments on principal: Aug 13 ’40, $7.75 (balance $1492.25); Sep 16 ’40, $11.30 ($1480.95); Nov 1 ’40, $11.36 ($1469.59); Dec 3 ’40, $11.43 ($1458.16); Dec 23 ’40, $11.50 ($1446.66); Jan 27 ’41, $11.57 ($1435.09); Feb 14 ’41, $11.63 ($1423.46); Mar 31 ’41, $11.70 ($1411.76); May 2 ’41, $240.00 ($1171.76).
Stamped PAID by the bank; the date in the stamp is only partly legible.
ENDORSEMENTS ON INTEREST
Aug 13 ’40, $12.25, to 9-1-1940
Sep 16 ’40, $8.70, to 10-1-1940
Nov 1 ’40, $8.64, to 11-1-1940
Dec 3 ’40, $8.57, to 12-1-1940
Dec 23 ’40, $8.50, to 1-1-1941
Jan 27 ’41, $8.43, to 2-1-1941
Feb 14 ’41, $8.37, to 3-1-1941
Mar 31 ’41, $8.30, to 4-1-1941
May 2 ’41, $8.23, to 5-1-1941
Jul 31 ’41, $20.54, to 8-1-1941
Each monthly payment was $20, split between interest and principal: in August 1940, $12.25 interest and $7.75 principal.
Supervisor, 1948–1952
LETTER · MAY 22, 1948
JOSEPH SHARMER
P O Box 221
Planada, Calif
Dear Voter:
You can readily realize that since the election is only a week away, time may prevent me from calling to talk with you personally concerning my candidacy for the office of Supervisor of your district.
If I am chosen as your Supervisor, your advice and your suggestions will be a great value to me, and I assure you I shall welcome any suggestions from you at any time. In other words, it is my desire to be your personal representative.
I will greatly appreciate your vote on June 1st.
Sincerely yours,
[signed] Joseph Sharmer
Laurel: “Your grandfather’s W-2 for his work as a county supervisor in 1949.”
FORM W-2 · WITHHOLDING STATEMENT—1949
Married ☒ Single ☐
Total wages (before pay-roll deductions) paid in 1949: $2,979.17
Federal income tax withheld, if any: -0-
Employee to whom paid: Joseph Sharmer, Box 221, Planada, California
Employer by whom paid: County of Merced, Auditor’s Office, Merced, California
The Shrine circus
NEWSPAPER CLIPPING · UNDATED
June 4th Is Date Of Shrine Circus; Need Cars
Joe Sharmer of Planada, chairman of the Merced-Mariposa Shrine Club Circus committee, today issued a last-minute plea for cars to take youngsters to the Shrine circus to be held in Modesto June 4.
“The committee has been granted the use of several school buses,” he said, “but the capacity of these is limited. The special train we had originally lined up to provide transportation was cancelled by the railroad company. Therefore we MUST have somewhere near 200 cars if we are to avoid disappointing the hundreds of children who have been looking forward to seeing this great circus. Let’s furnish enough cars locally to take every child in the Le Grand-Planada area.”
The circus matinee, which the children will see, starts at 3:45 p.m., and is over at 6:45, making it possible for them to be home early.
“People who can assist us in furnishing transportation should either get in touch with me immediately,” he said, “or phone Merced 1270, Shrine Circus headquarters, and advise how many children they can take.”
Shriners are selling circus tickets at $1.00 each, these to be purchased by various organizations and individuals, permitting the children to go free. Each ticket will admit two children.
Boxed note in the column: The editor of the News wishes to emphasize that the date of the circus is June 4, and not June 7 as mistakenly reported in a story last week.
Leaving Planada
In 1952, Laurel remembers: “My mother took my brothers and me, and Monty the Airedale, to Santa Cruz. My father stayed behind. Eventually, though, they decided to sell the house in Planada. This is the newspaper advertisement for the house.”
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT
HOME WITH INCOME
Payments less than rent for all this:
8 room house, two car garage, 4 room cottage, both separately fenced, 10 lots. Electric dishwasher, Bendix, range, automatic hot water heating, air coolers.
PLANADA
Write JOE SHARMER
Box 1035
Santa Cruz, California.
Notes & context
Two addresses. In 1948 and 1949 Joe’s address was Box 221, Planada. In the house advertisement, replies go to Box 1035, Santa Cruz, after the family had moved there.
The move. Laurel remembers that in 1952 her mother took the children and Monty the Airedale to Santa Cruz while Joe stayed behind in Planada, and that later they decided to sell the Planada house.
The circus. The clipping gives no year. The Merced Rotary history remembers Joe as “a County Supervisor, Mason and Shriner”; here he chairs the Merced-Mariposa Shrine Club’s circus committee.
The supervisor’s pay. His 1949 county wages were $2,979.17, with no federal tax withheld. The election his letter mentions is the June 1, 1948 vote; his campaign cards and the 1952 race are in the first set of papers.
