Eugene Kenneth Stolze

July 6, 1929 – February 9, 2021

Eugene Kenneth Stolze, age 91 of Jacksonville, Texas passed away on February 9, 2021 at Tru Care Living Center NH in Palestine, Texas.  Eugene (also known as Bud by his family and friends) was born July 6, 1929 in Albert Lea, Minnesota to George and Violet (Kilen) Stolze.

Eugene Stolze passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday evening, February 9.  Due to COVID-19 protocol, only his daughters Marcia and Dorene where able to be at his bedside along with the hospice nurse. 

Eugene joined the Army in 1946 right after World War II as an Automotive Equipment Mechanic.  He spent most of his service time traveling around in the Pacific before being discharged in 1949 after three years of service.   He married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Jean Olsen, after being discharged from the Army.  They were married on October 1, 1949 and had been married for 67 years before she passed away in 2017.

Shortly after being married in Albert Lea, Minnesota he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend art school.  Eugene was an avid artist and composed many paintings over the years.  During this time, Eugene developed a mild case of Polio and spent some time in the hospital until he fully recovered. 

Living in Minnesota, Eugene loved to hunt and fish and do some camping up near the Canada/Minnesota boundary waters.  He continued this with his family throughout his lifetime.  He also spent many years as a Boy Scout Leader with the Boys Scouts of America.

Shortly thereafter he started work at Houghton Manufacturing Company in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.  They worked with Plastics and Rubber where Eugene developed his expertise in this field which helped him with his career for years to come.  He worked there for close to 20 years before he discovered they were moving the entire company to West Virginia and not taking any of the employees with them.  He procured another job with his expertise in Plastics and Rubber and moved the entire family to Tennessee.

After a few years in Tennessee he moved the family to Indiana where he and his wife opened a small grocery store and restaurant.  They finally moved to Jacksonville, Texas in 1982 where he worked for a small Medical Supply Manufacturing Company until retirement. 

After retiring from the Medical Supply Company in 1991, Eugene (Bud) and Dorothy Jean spent their time managing state parks all over Texas and traveled all around the states visiting their children and grandchildren.  For over 20 years, he and his wife also volunteered working with the food bank at First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville.

Eugene is survived by his four daughters, Susan Kibler of Florida, Jan (Lloyd) Giles of Athens, Texas, Marcia (Richard) Edwards of Palestine, Texas, and Dorene (Chris) Gilmore of Jacksonville, Texas, his four sons, Kent (Vilma) Stolze of San Antonio, Texas, Loren (Terri) Stolze of Osgood, Indiana, Craig Stolze of North Vernon, Indiana, and Scott (Genie) Stolze of Onalaska, Texas.  His twenty-four (24) grandchildren, his twenty-four (24) great-grandchildren, his one (1) great-great-grandchild, and two nieces Beth (Jamie) McConaty and Lara (Clark) Coberly.

He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy Jean, his sons Bruce and Keith, his daughter Carol, his parents, his sister Artis, half-brothers George, Allen, Robert, John and half-sister Audrey, his sister-in-law Joan, his brother-in-law Robert, and his nephew Eric.

A memorial service is scheduled for March 27, 2021 at 10am at First United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Texas.