Obituary of Wilbur Stauffer
Wilbur Stauffer was born July 18, 1929(about 30 minutes after his twin brother Wilfred). They were born at home in Duchess, Alberta to parents Howard Otterbein Stauffer and Stella (Brubaker) Stauffer, and joined an older brother Norman, aged four.
When Wilbur was only four years old his mother died giving birth to his sister Fern. Later on his father married his stepmother, Mary Holderbein. A half-brother Charles was stillborn and was buried in the Mountview Mennonite Church plot near Aldersyde, Alberta. They later adopted a baby girl they named Faith and this completed their family.
Wilbur attended school in Duchess, then in Rosemary for a time, before the family moved to High River area where they lived and farmed until he was about 22 years old. At that time the family moved to the Tofield area where they farmed. It was here that Wilbur met Arlene Lehman at the Salem Mennonite Church where both families attended. He and Arlene were married there in June 1953. They and Wilbur’s sister Fern and her husband George often sang as a quartet at church over the next several years.
Wilbur and Arlene became parents of four daughters and one son, Sherry Lynn, Coleen Joan, Gwendolyn Kay, Alvin David, and Deanna Valerie. They also took in several foster children at various times.
Over the years their children were all married and gave them eleven grandchildren and two step-children. He also welcomed two more step-grandchildren via his youngest daughter Deanna.
Wilbur worked on his parents farm until he was 22. Then he worked on Boyd Stauffer’s (no relation) farm for about five years. They spent about a year in Ontario after this – first on a fruit farm during the summer and fall – then on a dairy farm for the winter. They also lived for a time in Acadia Valley and then in Ryley and Tofield until Arlene’s passing. Wilbur continued living in Tofield for the next several years. He was employed in various capacities during this period but the last 19 years before his retirement in July 1994 he worked at McGavin’s Bakery in Edmonton.
Wilbur enjoyed working in the yard, growing gardens, attending Full Gospel Businessmen Breakfasts and Services. He liked to read and spent many hours putting jigsaw puzzles together – he almost always had one in progress. He faithfully read the Bible each morning, reading the entire Bible through every year.
Wilbur was predeceased by his mother and father; step-mother Mary; a second step-mother Barbara; brother-in-law George Boese; sisters Fern and Faith; brother and sister-in-law Norman and Evelyn Stauffer and his sister-in-law Marge Stauffer.
He is survived by his wife Barbara; five children Sherry (Paul Yoder), Coleen (Delford Martin), Gwen (Donald Zook), Alvin Stauffer (Kathy), and Deanna (Rick Showers); 15 grandchildren and their spouses and great-grandchildren. He is also survived by three step-children Larry Grubbs (Carol), Jeffrey Grubbs (Koreen) and Patricia Pelletier; six step-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his twin brother Wilfred Stauffer.
Wilbur was loved and respected by all who knew him and will be deeply missed, but because we know he is with the Lord and enjoying the fellowship of loved ones gone before him and that we will meet him later in Heaven, it makes our loss much easier to bear.
A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, August 30, 2021 at the Tofield Community Church.
Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society or the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Wilbur
Stauffer 1929 2021..
Death notice for the town of: TOFIELD, Province: Alberta