Stearnsy Bear Article From 2001

                                       This article is from Missouri Life Magazine in 2001.

Stearnsy Bear Photo from Hallmark

This is a photo from Hallmark that features Stearnsy Bears. Hallmark did the setup and we supplied the bears. It was definitely made in to a poster. We have an old copy here in the shop. It may well have been on other Hallmark things. The date on this would be early 1980s. I apologize for the condition of the photo. We should have taken better care of it. Oh well, we fortunate to even have a copy.

From sleeves to a Stearnsy Bear

I had a fellow from Monett, Mo drop by the shop last week. He had been on the website and had seen that we do bears out of vintage furs. He had a few pieces to sell. Part of the way we work is being open to whatever may show up. What he had was a great vintage mink stole, a good muton and also something that we had never worked with before. Two pretty good size sleeves made from beaver fur. He didn't know what kind of coat they had come from and neither did we. But they were a cool fur. This is a little picture story about how they turned into a Stearnsy Bear.

This is what we bought. It had a soft, luxurious feel and a fairly dense pile.

This is what it looked like from the back. Many furs but not all are sewn together from very small pelts. If you look close you can see that these were exceptionally small which does make the fur harder to work with. We also didn't have a lot of it to work with which meant that how it was laid out to cut was more important than if you are working with a coat or jacket. You can't redo any of the pieces if you make a mistake.

 We cut out the pieces using our regular patterns, this is a 16" size. Then we cut out and glue white muslin to each piece of fur. We do this to strengthen the fur. Our experience has been that most vintage furs are very fragile and sometimes they will tear like tissue paper. This helps keep that from happening although there are many times what we would call nicks and bruises in each fur. Each fur even of the same type is different depending on the age, how often it was worn, how it was stored, etc. That is also what gives each one it's own character. Then we let the glued pieces dry fro 24 hours.

It's now ready for Vicky to sew.

Vicky sews each piece up inside out. That is one reason that we can't do small size bears from real fur. The pieces are too thick to turn right side out.

After she has sewn the bear up, she finishes the head.

Then I will joint the head as well as the arms and legs to the body. Then it is ready to for the bear to be stuffed. On this bear we had between 10 and 12 hours worth of work.

So here is our first Stearnsy Bear made from beaver fur. It turned out great. The bear was waiting in those sleeves, it just needed to be turned loose.

If the fellow from Monett hadn't come by, we would never had the opportunity to make this bear. We were glad he did.

Stearnsy Family History

Stearns Family. Audria and Emery Stearns' (Jim's mom and dad) 50th Anniversary. They're all gone now except for Sally Stearns and Charity Rose there in the backround. From left, Audria, Emery, Sally, Jim. Back, Loren (dad's older brother) and June. Charity Rose Rakoski (Stearns) has 2 daughters of her own now. Emma Rose and Annie Grace.

Presidential Candidates in Stotts City

Posted by the Cub Reporter: As the only reporter present, I have exclusive coverage of the Presidential Forum for Freedom held at the Stearnsy Bear Shop in Stotts City, Mo.

Senator Obama (left), Senator McCain (right) with moderator, Happy the clanking cymbal monkey, on stage at the Presidential Forum. After the forum was over, in this reporter's opnion, this being the Show Me State, we are still not sure where the buck  will stop. But if we can get a President with the grit and determination of Harry Truman, we'll be okay.

An honored guest was was the Spirit of harry Truman. Truman was born on May 8, 1884 in Lamar, Missouri. Lamar is only 45 miles from Stotts City and the spirit of Missouri's only president is still recognized and appreciated here. Truman's words of wisdom for the candidates before the forum was "If you can't stand the heat, you better get out of the kitchen."

The Cub Reporter on the record with the spirit of Harry Truman.

Truman on stage with the candidates. "Never be afraid to what's right."

Truman with baby daughter, Margaret.

Truman with friends at his habadashery store circa 1920.

Truman announces the surrender of Japan.

Bigfoot captured in Stotts City

Posted by the Cub Reporter for the Stotts City Times. All the bear news that is fit to print.


Flash: Bigfoot captured In Stotts City.

Well, in the interest of journalistic integrity, I must say that he actually has turned himself in. After years of grainy photos, unfounded rumor and those very irritating Slim Jim ads, the truth is in. The Ozark Mountain Yeti Bear is alive and well and staying at the Stearnsy Bear Shop in Stotts City, Mo.

This reporter has obtained an exclusive interview with the Yeti.

               The Cub Reporter on the record with The Ozark Mountain Yeti Bear at his summer place.

Cub Reporter: Bigfoot, after 100s of years on the loose, why did choose now to turn yourself in?

Yeti: Please don’t call me Bigfoot. That is my uncle’s mother’s cousin. I am a Yeti in the long line of Yetis. I just felt that this is the right time, what with global warming and the possibility of the Cubs in the World Series and the advent of digital TV on February 17th. It is very hard to get HD on the top of a mountain.

Cub Reporter: What are your future plans?
Yeti: I am looking for a quiet new home. As nice as it is here in the bear shop, I am looking for a bit more peace and possibly a home with a chair. You try sitting on a rock for years on end.

Cub Reporter: Who do you prefer in the presidential election this year?
Yeti: I prefer Truman over Dewey.

Cub Reporter: You have been in the woods a long time.
Yeti: So very true.

Ozark Mountain Yeti Bear."Hootin and Hollerin." Which is no more than you would expect from the Ozark Yeti and don't call me, Bigfoot, please. He's my uncle's mother's cousin. Of course many people think only of Nepal when you mention Yeti. Those folks haven't been to the Ozarks. The Ozark branch of the Yetis did originate there. First mentioned in 1832, the James Prinsep's Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal published trekker B. H. Hodgson's account of the Yeti in northern Nepal. That was us. Then in 1959, actor James Stewart, while visiting India, reportedly smuggled remains of a supposed Yeti, the so-called Pangboche Hand, by concealing it in his luggage when he flew from India to London. Wouldn't you have thought better of Jimmy Stewart than that. What, "With Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and 'It's A Wonderful Life."

Jimmy Stewart as "Mr. Smith."

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 Over the years the Ozark Yetis have become quite civilized from living in close proximity to the Ozark Mountain Hillbillies. It does rub off. Other than a penchant for hootin and hollerin at inopportune times, the Ozark Yeti is quite well behaved. Just don't take him to any funerals.

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Cultural mentors of the Yeti Bear.

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This great bear is made from a white color Schulte mohair. It has a 3 inch pile and it is lovely. It is also the most expensive mohair we have ever used. That's the good points. But it was real pain in the butt to work with. So there will be no encores. Even though here at Stearnsy Bears we have a never say die attitude. This was too hard so we're quitting on it.

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The Society Page:

High Society went up a notch in Stotts City today when Ellen and Lou paid a visit to  the Stearnsy Bear Shop to pick up some new Stearnsy Bears to help civlize Texas.

Ellen and Lou. Ellen is the pretty one. Lou is holding Boom Boom and Big Ear. Ellen is holding Rover the dog and a bear who refused to give his name until he talked to his lawyer. Although I'm sure they'll sweet talk it out of him before they get back to Texas.

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Life in Stotts City:

It's Saturdy Night in Stotts City and you know what that means. Pig's ears. The only difference between now and the old days is that the dogs are eating the pig's ears now.

Blondie our very good lab shown here enjoying hers. Rusty, our handsome and well behaved collie also got one as well. Spud, our bad little dog,  got his on the promise of good behavior yet to come. Don't turn your back on him though.

Strangers In Town

Posted by the Cub Reporter: It was a quiet Thursday morning here at the Stearnsy Bear Shop in Stotts City, but that was all about to change. It started when a KSN news wagon pulled up out in front of the shop. Normally Stotts City is my beat and a wee bit far off the beaten path to see much of the so called “Big Media” here. Of course, I knew immediately why they were here. Why just this morning, Wild Bill, after a night of honey wine at the Bear’s Den, had passed on to me, the rumor that Barrack Obama had been vacationing in Stotts City instead of Hawaii as had been reported. These guys obliviously were sharp to have jumped on it so quick. Why even as much as I trust Wild Bill, we were still looking for a second source before we bumped this story from rumor to reality. The presence of another news team was all the confirmation I needed.

Wild Bill on the record with the Cub Reporter.

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But when they came into the shop, I found out that that was not the case at all. Either that or theses guys were really good. But no, it had turned out they had come to do a feature piece on the bears. Well of course, that showed that they were truly sharp reporters after all. Who wouldn’t want to see a story on the finest bears in the world? Of course, they made one mistake. They decide to interview the loudmouth who runs the place. That guy will never shut up and now they have put a mike on him. How come no one ever interviews any of the bears? They are the ones who truly know what is going now. Or if not that, then at least speak to the lovely and gracious Vickie Stearns. She is the real brains of this outfit. But these guys were pros. They knew how to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. It was a pleasure to watch brethren from a different media form ply their trade. Perhaps in these days when anyone with a cell phone camera fancies himself an Eddie Adams, a picture may not be worth a 1000 words. But it’s still worth a 100 anyhow. So now I can’t wait to see their story.

Brad Douglas (left) and Mike Denny of KSN along with

yours truly. Shades of Edward R. Murrow. These guys

are good. Buy their news at here.

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As you can see from the photo, these guys didn’t look down their nose at a poor reporter who has to push a pencil for a living. I certainly appreciate that. Although if I tune in and see a story about Barack Obama in Stotts City, I will be ticked.