Lima, Dermeval Stockler de (1912–2008)

Dermeval Stockler de Lima was born September 15, 1912, in the city of Santos, Sao Paulo.¹ He was the son of Ernesto Maccario Stockler de Lima and the Swedish Albina Bonander Stockler de Lima. From this union were born eight children: Osvaldo, Durval, Osminda, Dermeval, Mauro, Ernesto, Esther, and Lily. He lived his childhood with his parents, who ran a hostel “Pensão D' Oeste.” They also lived in two neighborhoods of São Paulo, one of them being the district of Itaquera.²

Due to her husband's health limitations, Albina devoted herself to selling clothes for children and women on the streets to earn money. In the town of Santo André, Albina encountered the Seventh-day Adventist Church. At that time, the Brazil Publishing House (CPB) was located in Santo André. Ernesto and Albina received Bible studies from the publishing house workers and were baptized when Dermeval Lima was 10 years old. He was baptized June 26, 1927, by Pastor Frederick Weber Spies.³

de Lima’s father rented a farm, where he planted a garden and took care of dozens of dairy cattle. Some of Lima’s brothers worked in the Brazil Publishing House bookbindery, and his mother helped in the church Dorcas society, known today as Adventist Solidarity Action (ASA). During this time, Lima worked on Fridays at the workers’ house, doing a deep cleaning, taking care of the garden, and waxing the floor of the house.⁴ In 1926 Lima was hired for the publishing house bookbindery as well. In 1933 he was called to work at the Sao Paulo Conference office in the canvassing department. In this sector, he sent orders to various regions of the state of São Paulo by trains from Luz Railway Station.⁵

In 1934, de Lima went to Brazil College (known today as Centro Universitario Adventista de São Paulo, or UNASP – SP), São Paulo to study the commercial course. As soon as he arrived, he was directed by Pastor Ellis Mass to the library's bookbinding department to work. He graduated from the course on November 27, 1937. In 1938, he worked for a few months in the office of the Parana-Santa Catarina Conference, directed by Pastor Germano Ritter. Later, he was called to open the offices of the Goiano-Mineira Mission, newly founded in the capital of Goiana.⁶

de Lima married Selma Schwantes in the city of Ijuí, state of Rio Grande do Sul.⁷ In 1939 Dermeval was appointed to work with the Department of Education, Canvassing, and as treasurer at the Goias Mission, in the territory of the South Brazil Union Conference.⁸ The Limas’ eldest daughter Sunie was born at this time. In 1941 Lima was called to work as treasurer at the Taquara Adventist Gymnasium, now referred to as Cruzeiro do Sul Adventist College (IACS). He also taught accounting and history. While working there, his second daughter, Elsie, was born.⁹

In 1946 de Lima returned to the Parana-Santa Catarina Conference. Selma Lima started studying obstetrics and worked helping doctors at the Curitiba Hospítal. In 1953 Lima was called to be treasurer at the Brazil College and took over the management of Brazil Food Factory. Selma Lima became the women’s dean for a short time and eventually stopped working as an obstetrician. Both of their daughters graduated from Brazil College. In 1961, Selma died of cancer.¹⁰ Lima still worked, between 1967 and 1968, in the São Paulo Conference, in the heritage and donations sector.¹¹

On February 11, 1968, de Lima married Fany Darlling Stockler de Lima, in New York, officiated by Pastor Henry A. Barrow. That year he was invited to serve as treasurer at the East Brazil Union Conference and at the Sao Paulo Adventist Hospital. Due to poor health and feeling mentally exhausted, he decided to retire.¹² That same year, his son Fernando Stockler de Lima was born.¹³ Dermeval de Lima began working with his brother Durval Stockler de Lima in importing royal jelly, a product prepared a few hundred meters from the Brazil Adventist College, Sao Paulo. He also invited and trained students from the Brazil Adventist College to sell royal jelly.¹⁴

Between 1964 and 1968, de Lima had as a hobby making cosmetics, without big plans. After marrying Fany, she continued to work hard in the cosmetics industry. Fany Darling Cosmetics had about 1,000 sellers. The couple paid the tuition of more than 30 students at Brazil Adventist College. In 1971 two more daughters were born, Regina and Rejane Stockler de Lima.¹⁵ After working 42 years for the Adventist church, de Lima worked 38 years as manager of Fany Darling Cosmetics, located in São Paulo.¹⁶

Dermeval Stockler de Lima died March 28 of 2008 at age 95.¹⁷ He served the church for 42 years as an office clerk, secretary, treasurer, and administrator.¹⁸ 

Sources

Certificate of Marriage Registration. In: National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, S bookcase: 02. Shelf: 06. Folder/Box: “Lima, Dermeval Stockler de.” Accessed May 20, 2019.

Reminiscências de um Empreendedor – Vida e Trabalho de Dermeval Stockler de Lima. In: (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, S bookcase: 02. Shelf: 06. Folder/Box: “Lima, Dermeval Stockler de.” Accessed May 20, 2019.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941. Accessed May 20, 2019. http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Yearbooks/YB1941.pdf.

Notes

1. Cédula de Identidade (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, SP).↩

2. Reminiscências de um Empreendedor – Vida e Trabalho de Dermeval Stockler de Lima (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, SP), 4-5.↩

3. Ibid., 5-6, 19.↩

4. Ibid., 7-9.↩

5. Ibid., 7-9, 19.↩

6. Ibid., 10-14, 19.↩

7. Ibid., 13.↩

8. Ibid., 14. “Matto Grosso Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1941), 191.↩

9. Ibid., 14-16.↩

10. Ibid., 16, 19.↩

11. Ibid., 17, 19.↩

12. Reminiscências de um Empreendedor – Vida e Trabalho de Dermeval Stockler de Lima (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, SP), 16-17.↩

13. Fany Darlling Stockler de Lima, to Felipe Cardoso and Ivo Ribeiro, Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, May 15, 2019.↩

14. Reminiscências de um Empreendedor – Vida e Trabalho de Dermeval Stockler de Lima (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, SP), 18.↩

15. Fany Darlling Stockler de Lima, to Felipe Cardoso and Ivo Ribeiro, Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, May 15, 2019.↩

16. Reminiscências de um Empreendedor – Vida e Trabalho de Dermeval Stockler de Lima (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, SP), 19-20.↩

17. Fany Darlling Stockler de Lima, to Felipe Cardoso and Ivo Ribeiro, Engenheiro Coelho, São Paulo, May 15, 2019.↩

18. Reminiscências de um Empreendedor – Vida e Trabalho de Dermeval Stockler de Lima (National Center of Adventist History/ Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, Engenheiro Coelho, SP), 19.↩