| Sources |
- [S927] Obituary.
On Nov. 21, 2009, Donald “Beaver” Stumpf completed an 81-year journey to be with our Lord. Never one to give up, Beaver put up a courageous, almost four-year battle with cancer. He did so quietly, smiling often, appreciating frequent visits by family and friends. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, at Christ the King Catholic Church, Mandan, with the Rev. Kenneth Phillips as celebrant. Burial will be held at 1 p.m. in the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery with military honors provided by the VFW Post 707 and American Legion Post 40.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Weigel Funeral Home, Mandan, with a parish rosary/vigil at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday.
Born Nov. 3, 1928, Beaver was raised the middle child of five children, (Clem, Leo, Lorraine and Polly), to Lawrence and Rose (Koch) Stumpf. Beaver was a proud Mandan native, educated at St. Joseph’s and Mandan High Schools. He would often recall adventures and lessons of life learned during the Great Depression on Mandan’s “east end” where he made life-long friends and worked with his Dad and family at Lawrence’s White Fence Grocery. Here, he would meet his best friend and wife of 52 years, Joann (Ehli) Stumpf. While growing up, he became an avid fisherman and hunter and excelled at the sports of boxing and football, playing on the state championship teams of 1947 and 1948. His nickname was derived from childhood friends who said his style of swimming on the Heart River resembled that of a beaver.
Following high school, Beaver attended college at the State School of Forestry in Bottineau and after service during the Korean War, Beaver completed study in agricultural science and horticulture at Oregon State University. Beaver was a sergeant during his service, who specialized in cooking, a skill he mastered and would use his entire life. Armed with a cast iron skillet, there are many fond memories of numerous steak, walleye, and you name it “feeds” that Beaver could prepare on a moment’s notice. Following college, Beaver returned to Bottineau to briefly teach and coach football before taking a position at the newly constructed Standard Oil Refinery in 1955. He would continue to work at the refinery, in positions of increasing responsibility over the next 34 years, retiring in 1989. Trained as a mechanical craftsman and later a mechanical supervisor, Beaver knew how to improvise, creating an oven which utilized steam heat from the refinery, from which he would cook frequent hot lunches for his fellow employees and crew.
On May 18, 1957, Joann and Beaver were married and began a life which included many milestones and much fun while raising four children, Mark, John, Lisa and Leanne. He enjoyed raising large gardens and thought it important to spend as much time as possible outdoors, especially at the “cabin” south of Mandan. Beaver loved to compete, whether it was to grow the largest onion or potato, catch the most or largest walleye, win at horseshoes, cards, etc., he could turn even the most mundane activity into a competition which made each day interesting. Upon retirement, a new sport was discovered, golf which became a passion for Joann and he. Many golf-related vacations followed. Retirement was rich, nine grandchildren arrived and there were opportunities to travel. Beaver loved his family and enjoyed his friends.
He is survived by his wife, Joann; his children, Mark and Marilyn (Wingenbach) Stumpf, John and Linda (Nelson) Stumpf, Leanne and Ralph Dunnigan and Lisa and Mark Meier; his grandchildren, Rachel and Vanessa Stumpf, Katie and Kelli Stumpf, Brittany, Meghan, Ryan and Erynn Dunnigan and Matthew Meier; one brother, Clem, Glenwood, Minn.; and one sister, Lorraine (Dick) Froelich, Mandan.
Beaver was preceded in death by his parents; his twin brother, Leonard; his sister, Polly (Barth); and his brother, Leo “Peanuts” Stumpf.
Pallbearers will be his grandchildren and honorary pallbearers will be his friends, Jim Cody, George Kary, Al “Goldie” Mackelky, Bernie Meier, Tom Muscatel and Ray Rolvshoven.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Cancer Research or the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery. Go to www.weigelfuneral.com to sign the online guest book and view flower photos.
Copyright 2014 Bismarck Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|
1928 - 2009 (81 years)