Welcome to Stump’s stories. I began writing these stories in 2006 for my grandkids. Currently, my grandkids all live in the digital world and this site allows me to provide them better access to my stories. This site is also in response to close friends who have encouraged me to publish my stories.
The stories are about my experiences on the journey of life and stories I heard from my dad about his growing up on an Iowa farm in the 1920s and 1930s. The stories are being reformatted for the on-line world and will be placed in one of the story libraries listed below. I hope you enjoy reading them and they bring back memories. I also hope they will encourage you to share your stories with your grandkids. Remember, a poorly written story is better than no story. Many of us are a lot closer to the end of our story than we are the beginning so don’t procrastinate. Your grandkids will appreciate it. Share your story.
Ethical Will
In an ethical will you describe your values and philosophies to your grandkids. You give them the will when you are still alive and I have done that. My paternal grandfather died before I was born and I didn’t have a close relationship with my maternal grandfather. Modern families are spread out across the U.S.A. and we don’t get to spend much one-on-one time with grandkids. I wanted my grandkids to know more about me and the people who mentored and influenced me. I wanted them to know I was not always like I am now. Many of my rough edges have been smooth and shaped by the trials and tribulations of life’s journey.
Gary and Maxine Stories
Maxine was my high school sweetheart and my wife for 40 years. She passed away in 2005. These stories share some of our experiences.
Gary’s Stories
Stories about my adventures in life from an Iowa farm boy to a retired old man and everything in between.
HFD Stories
I served 26 years on the volunteer fire department in Hudson, IA as a firefighter, EMT, and an officer. In 2015 I published a history book about the department covering the years 1899-2012. The publication was a one-time print on demand. If you are interested, a copy of the book is in the Hudson library. These stories are about some of my experiences on the department.
Pirate Town Stories
These stories are yet to be written. Pirate town stories are fictional stories, loosely based on actual events, that occurred in the fictional place called Pirate Town. Any resemblance between the story characters and real people, real events, or real life are purely coincidental. These stories are set in the 1970s with a group of young couples trying to make their town a better place to live. This group also knew how to have a good time.
Road Trip Stories
I traveled a lot in my job for John Deere. I share some of my experiences during these adventures.
Spiritual Stories
In 2006 a pastor told me I had a calling to share the stories of my spiritual experiences. After recovering from being told I had a calling, I began to write the stories. The titles were more numerous than I expected. There are about 30 chapters of these stories beginning with my baptism and continuing to the current time. There is always a new story to be written. So read a chapter whose title captures your attention or read them in sequence. They are my journey.
Stratton’s Advice
Along the journey of life I captured many one-line philosophies, and other bits of wisdom that made an impact on me. I carried them in my Franklin Planner and referred to them often. When my oldest children were in high school in the mid-1980s I collected the philosophies together in a booklet and presented them to my kids for Christmas. I titled the collection, Stratton’s Advice for Life’s Journey. When reformatting has been completed, they will be added to this section.