Adolph Jesse Stumpf Sr.

In loving memory of Ottie, Ott, A.J. or Bear who died peacefully and with great dignity at home from ALS Lou Gehrig's Disease which he was diagnosed as having on Dec. 29, 2007. Ottie was a lifelong Christian and a member of Messiah Lutheran Church. He knew and loved his Savior Jesus Christ well.

Ottie was very proud of his family and his German heritage. He was deeply interested in family genealogy.

He was a true craftsman and operative stone and brick mason for 32 years in Santa Cruz. He worked on the Town Clock and Cabrillo College and became a 3rd degree Mason in the last years of his life.

He was a very talented artist who enjoyed pencil sketching and relief carving. His lifelong passions were family and the outdoors, hunting, firearms, fishing and camping. Every hike was an adventure. He will be remembered for the elaborate and imaginary tales he told of the adventures he missed because of chronic pain. Ottie loved to tease, joke and kid with people and he always said "laughter is the best medicine". He never missed an opportunity to try and buy his grandchildren with his phony million dollar bill or bet on anything with his double tailed quarters.

Ottie was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Vivian Miller Stumpf and father Theodore Edward Stumpf Sr., his brothers, Theodore Edward Stumpf Jr., Rodger Louis Stumpf and his sister, Margie Ann Strate.

He is survived by and will be truly missed by his wife, Darlene, son Jesse and daughter in law Nadine, his daughter Laurel, brother Max and his wife Sandi, sister Pat Cope and her husband Will, and all of his nieces, nephews and cousins. He will also be missed by his brothers in law Cliff, Fred, Andy and Jim, his other "sons" Paul, Kurt and Mark and many dear, faithful and treasured friends.

As he wished he will be cremated and interred at Santa Cruz Memorial Park. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church in the springtime. Donations in his memory are preferred to Messiah Lutheran Church, 801 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060, Hospice Caring Project, 940 Disc Dr., Scotts Valley, CA 95066 or your favorite charity.

God bless you Ottie, make his face to shine upon you and give you his peace.

I farmed the land

I tramped the woods,

These are the things I understood.

No Grand schemes, they passed

me by - I knew the brook,

the hills, the sky.

To hunt a bird, to wet a line,

Gifts from God

So good and fine.

Friend and Kin, I loved them so:

Altho I'm gone, I'm sure they know

I'm now at peace, life's battle done,

I've faced the foe and I have won.