Paul Thurston Stolberg

Paul Thurston Stolberg, age 97, passed away on December 30, 2024, after a long and fulfilling life. Born at home during a snowstorm on December 29, 1927, on the family farm between Mandan and Flasher, North Dakota, Paul’s early years were shaped by the rural landscape and the hard work of farming. Delivered by his grandmother, Paul’s beginnings were as unique as the life he went on to lead.

Paul was the son of Philip Alfred Stolberg and Ruth H. Thurston Stolberg. He was the second-born to a family of five children; Bill Stolberg (deceased), twin sisters Phyllis Main and Ruth Ross (deceased), and brother Bob Stolberg. When Paul was two and his twin sisters were born, Paul moved in with his grandmother, where he remained until he began school.

Growing up, Paul worked on the family farm, earning a reputation as a true cowboy. At the age of 12, he got his driver’s license and began driving farm equipment through Flasher. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior as a teenager, though he rarely spoke of that time. Paul often remarked that he and his brother were “free labor” for their father, but his cherished memories of a bachelor uncle and his paternal grandmother shaped his young years.

Paul enlisted in the Army Air Force immediately after his 18th birthday in 1945, which meant he wasn’t able to finish high school. He was stationed in Guam and discharged in March 1949 as a Sergeant in the 718th Bomb Squadron. Work was hard to come by at the time, so Paul re-enlisted in September 1950 and served in Germany and France during the Korean War eventually being discharged in 1954 as an Airman First Class in the 4650 Supply Squadron in the Air Force. Paul’s military service was a formative part of his life, and he carried the values of service, honor, and sacrifice throughout his years.

In March of 1956, Paul reenlisted in the military once more. His training was in Texas, after which he was given one month to get from Texas to Alaska where he would be stationed. It was during this time that he met Nancy Hald, a co-worker of his sister Ruth, at a Beaver’s baseball game. Their relationship blossomed, and he proposed prior to moving to Alaska. In November, his father passed and he was given bereavement leave, during which time he married Nancy on December 15, 1956, at Piedmont Friends Church in Portland, Oregon. The couple soon moved to Alaska, where they lived until March 1959, when they were stationed at Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon. During this time, Paul got his GED.

In 1960, Paul and Nancy’s only daughter, Debra Lee, was born, and in 1963, Paul and Nancy were baptized at Bible Baptist Church.

Paul faced a significant health challenge when rheumatoid arthritis in his feet forced him to leave the Air Force in April 1964. He was granted an honorary medical discharge and transitioned to life in civilian work. Paul got a job at Bly Logging and became quite active in his church. Paul acted as an usher and sang in the choir. His commitment to service continued as he helped build Mountain Lakes Bible Camp and worked with the youth group. It was very common that on a Sunday any serviceman visiting their church would be invited to Paul and Nancy’s home for a wonderful home cooked meal, and this resulted in many long-time friendships. Their house was known for its open-door hospitality and Paul was always up for fun! Not to mention the beautiful garden, a staple at every home Paul and Nancy shared.

The only time the family traveled was either when they went to Portland to visit Nancy’s relatives, an occasional trip to the coast, or a Stolberg Family Reunion. Memorial Day Weekend in 1970, while at one of these weekend trips to the beach, Dallas Toland (their niece’s husband) was tragically killed. This had a profound effect on Paul and Nancy and at this point they decided to start making plans to move to Portland to be closer to family. Paul knew the logging industry was tough on his body and looked for a way to do something else.

After moving to SE Portland in 1971, Paul and Nancy managed an apartment complex and they joined Gateway Baptist Church. Paul began to have intense back pain and discovered that he had a spinal tumor. After undergoing surgery, his family was told that if another week had gone by the tumor would have pushed his spine and caused permanent paralysis. God was at work again in his life.

Through the connections of their niece Judy, Paul was offered a job managing a warehouse on Macadam for a new company called Nutrition Laboratories. The company grew and was bought by Pioneer Hy-bred of Iowa in 1974. At this time, they wanted a long-haul truck driver to haul product between Portland and Iowa and Paul jumped at the chance to be “on-the-road” again. He worked for Pioneer as a driver for 10 years until 1984 when the company shut down the Portland plant.

During July of 1975 the family moved to Milwaukie, Oregon where they lived off Lake Road for the next 22+ years. At this time, they also began to attend Milwaukie First Baptist Church (now GracePointe) where they have been members for almost 50 years.

Upon retirement, Paul did some driving for a local medical supply company but enjoyed all the volunteer work he could think of. In fact, he probably painted the inside of every room at their church during these years, some twice over! He had a longtime love of bowling; and bowled twice a week in “senior” leagues, first with his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, then later on with his daughter. He continued to bowl until a small stroke during Covid put a stop to this in 2020.

It was during these post-retirement years he began woodworking (making planters) and started coaching the women’s softball team at church. This became even more special when Jeff Hanson came alongside him to coach, and in Dec. 1988 became his son-in-law. In 1990, Paul’s first grandson, Matt, was born, and his first comment was “I need to start walking so I can live long enough to see him graduate from high school.” This was quite a statement based on the fact that almost all the men in his family had died at a young age to this point.

In 1994 he joined Craftsmen for Christ as they began to build the addition alongside the church. You could find Paul and Nancy there almost every weekday, him working and Nancy running the kitchen for the volunteers. Many dear friends were made during these years.

In 1997 an in-law house was built in Clackamas (Happy Valley) where the two families still reside. It was a joy for the grandsons to grow up with their grandparent’s right downstairs and even more of a joy for Paul to see them every day.

Paul’s greatest happiness in life was his family. He adored his grandsons, Matt and Mark, and found immense joy in being an active part of their lives. He was known as “Bampa” to his grandchildren, a name that became synonymous with love, warmth, and fun. His life was filled with family gatherings, playing games, and showing up to support his loved ones.

As the boys grew and began to attend Portland Christian, Paul began to volunteer in the classrooms and worked once a week in the kitchen, which he continued the entire elementary years of his grandsons. He became the school grandfather, and he could be found at all the sporting events, not just his own grandsons. Paul volunteered to go on any field trip he could. He also accompanied Debi all over the area as she officiated volleyball matches at many of the high schools in the area.

It was during this time Paul began to make doll furniture for a friend that expanded to wooden trucks and cars until he was a fixture at various bazaars and farmers markets. He continued to woodwork until the doctor called a halt to it after his stroke in 2020. He still snuck out to the shop once-in-awhile. There are still three wooden crates in his family’s possession, and many other items he made in the homes of family and friends.

As his grandsons grew, and Debi’s job became Athletic Assistant at PC, he began to attend all the sporting events to help in any way he could. He was a lifelong supporter of the girl’s teams especially, and you could always find him at every game he could get to, including many away games and trips to State at Pendleton. He also traveled to all the away baseball games with his daughter to support Jeff as the coach. This continued long after his grandsons graduated as he continued to support the students he had watched grow up from their elementary school days. His outgoing personality and ability to find something to talk about with every person made him a great ambassador for the school.

In his later years, Paul embraced learning new skills, continuing to be involved in the lives of his grandsons and extended family. He took great pride in his great-grandsons, Wyatt and Keltan, and cherished every moment with them. Paul’s legacy is one of joy, laughter, and service to others. His warm, generous heart and his ability to make every moment special are gifts that will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.

When his beloved wife Nancy passed away on his birthday in 2012, Paul thought he would follow soon after, but instead, he adapted to life as a widower, thriving in ways that surprised even himself. He continued to live independently, finding joy in small tasks and staying active in his community. Through all the activity and young outlook on life, Paul thrived and didn’t start feeling his age catch up to him until only a few months before his passing.

Paul is survived by his daughter, Debra (Jeff); grandsons, Matt (Courtney) and Mark; great-grandsons, Wyatt and Keltan; sister, Phyllis; brother, Bob; and all the many other lives he touched.

A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at GracePointe Church in Milwaukie on Saturday, January 18th at 2pm.

Paul had the ability to make every job, every event, every moment you spent with him fun. That was his priceless gift to us all.