JIMMY STEWART - A Hometown HERO

THE SMALL PENNSYLVANIA COMMUNITY HE GREW UP IN HELPED SHAPE THE LIFE OF THE BELOVED STAR

- LOUISE A. BARILE

On his 75th birthday, a chorus of some 3,000 fans and friends sang “Happy Birthday ” to Jimmy Stewart outside the courthouse in Indiana, Pa. The actor and WWII hero never lost his affection for the tiny town where he grew up, and Indiana has never stopped taking pride in its native son. Today, the It’s a Wonderful Life star is immortalized by a museum dedicated to his life, movie career and war experiences. A 9-foot-tall statue of Jimmy stands across the street from where his father’s hardware store used to be and, fittingly, the local airport is named for the actor who distinguished himself with 20 combat missions over enemy lines.

“This is where I sort of made up my mind about certain things,” Jimmy said on what would be his final visit home in 1983. “About hard work being worth it, about community spirit, about the importance of family, about the importance of God and the church.”

Located about 60 miles east of Pittsburgh, the Indiana of Jimmy’s boyhood was a place where everyone knew their neighbors. His father, Alexander, ran J.M. Stewart, a three-story hardware store founded by Jimmy’s grandfather in 1853. “It was the centerpiece of downtown and sold a little bit of everything,” Janie McKirgan, executive director of the Jimmy Stewart Museum, tells Closer. “People came in to buy everything from paint and building supplies to nails and coffee. It was also a place to gather and talk.”