Paul and Irene Stackhouse
Paul Berrington Stackhouse born March 28, 1917 to Joseph and Cora (McCracken) Stackhouse. He passed away on May 8, 1995 at the age of 78.
Paul was married to Irene Simmons on May 2, 1947.
He was an Army veteran of World War II, and retired in 1984 from Cave Quarries. He also worked at Underwood Machine Shop in Prospect and operated his own garage in French Lick. He was a member of West Baden First Baptist Church.
Surviving with his wife are one daughter, Janna Lu Foxx of French Lick; one son, Joe Stackhouse of French Lick; one stepson Keith Howard of French Lick; one sister Clara Hallaway of West Baden; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
JOLYNNE'S TRIBUTE
The thing I remember most about Papaw was the way he always smacked us in the back of the head while we ate breakfast in the morning before school. Every time mom had to go into work early, she would drop me, Adrienne, and Erin off at Mamaw & Papaw's house. At about 5:00 in the morning we would come sneaking in the house as quiet as we could so as not to wake them up. Then, just as we put our things by the door and laid down to go back to sleep we would hear Papaw say, "Who is that!" "It's just us, Papaw," we said with laughter. Then he would say, "all right, just as long as you aren't any robbers!" Then we would all go back to sleep. At about 6:30, Mamaw would get up and fix everyone a wonderful breakfast.
We would all be eating when Papaw came in the kitchen. We didn't have to look to see that he was there. We already knew because when he got to each one of us he would grab our ears and wiggle them, pinch our arms, or just smack us in the back of the head. Not hard! Just enough so we knew he was there. As we sat there eating our breakfast, Papaw would sit at the table, watch us for a minute, then say with all the seriousness he had, "Let me ask you a question. Why is it that every time you bend your elbow, your mouth flies open? We would all laugh and try to eat again, but every time we would take a bite he would say, "See, there it goes again!"
We already knew he loved us, he didn't have to say a word.
KRISTA'S TRIBUTE
The one thing I will always remember about my Papaw is how knowledgeable he was. Papaw was a human dictionary, encyclopedia, almanac, atlas and thesaurus. If Papaw had been able to take my verbal section of the SAT's, he probably would've gotten a close to perfect score. Once, I remember, I was in 7th grade, and I was having some trouble in History class. The only thing I could think to do for help was ask Papaw. When he got going trying to explain, everything began to become very clear. Needless to say I got an A on that test, but it wound up being one of the longest stories Papaw had ever told me.
Another thing I will always remember about Papaw is how kind hearted and loving he was. Whenever Papaw was working a cross-word puzzle and little Paul would act up, Papaw would threaten to hit Paul in the head with his pencil. I can remember at first this scared Paul, but then I think he realized that Papaw wouldn't hurt a fly and the threats were always empty.
I will always remember going bowling with Mamaw and Papaw when I was little. The grandkids were supposed to take turns, but somehow it seems I got to go even if it wasn't my turn. I don't exactly know why I always wanted to go, because for me, it was boring. The only reason I can think that I loved it so much was that Mamaw and Papaw would brag about me and then I'd like to show off to everyone they bragged to.
I know my Papaw was loved by many, and he loved many in return. One love that he had truly astounded me. This one love Mamaw. Being married for 48 years shows the love they had for each other. I remember when Mamaw was hurt and us grandkids would go over and try to help only to find that Papaw already had everything taken care of.
I guess it's like the poem - nothing gold can stay.
JAMES' TRIBUTE
There were a couple of things about grandpa that really impressed me. One was his work ethic. He would work all day and never stop smiling. When there was work to be done, he saw to it that it got done. Another was his honesty. You always knew where you stood with grandpa. When he said he was going to do something, you could bet all the money in the world that he would. Another was his sense of humor. To him, the only thing better than a good laugh, was sharing it with someone else. He loved to see people laugh.
The thing that probably impressed me the most, though, was his charisma. To know him was to love him. I never heard a cross word spoken about him. I learned more by just watching him than I ever have, or ever will, in school. He did not have to say a word. The example he set said it all. As uncle Jim said last night, if a person were to pattern themselves after someone, you couldn't pick a better person than grandpa. He left some awful big shoes. I only hope that at least part of them will fit me.
KENNY RAY'S TRIBUTE
When I look back on the time I spent with Grandpa, there are so many things I will always remember. The big smile on his face when he and Lynn finished rebuilding that '73 Volkswagen. The big smile on his face the time I went with him and Joe to the pond and Joe did a Babe Ruth, pointed at a spot, cast his line, and reeled in a fish. I still have no idea how Joe knew where to cast. The big smile on his face when James gave his speech at graduation. The big smile on his face, that's something I will always remember.
I will also remember the bibbed over-alls and engineer's caps and how special it made me feel when he would give me on of his old caps. I will always remember when he and Grandma went with us to Tennessee, and the look on that little kid's face when Grandpa told him that of the six of his family members that went into that haunted house, only five came out.
I will always remember the lessons he taught, not with words, but by example. He taught the importance of family. To love your family, care for your family, support your family and be proud of your family. Of course, he also taught the proper mix for soup. It's not crackers in your soup, it's a little soup on your bowl full of crackers, something I still follow to this day.
A couple weeks ago I was asked if I was Keith and Carolyn's boy, after saying yes to this person, she then looked at her friend and told her I was Paul and Irene's grandson. That is something I will always be proud to be known as: Keith and Carolyn's son, and Paul and Irene's grandson.
KEITH'S TRIBUTE
My father, Kenneth, was killed more than 50 years ago in the Battle of the Bulge. Mother married Paul more than two years later, when I was 2. Although many told me of my father, Paul is the only father I have ever known personally. It is a testimony to mother's inner and outer beauty, and to the blessings of God, that she had two marriages to men of such strength, honesty, and character.
I REMEMBER
I remember the times at Hammer's, the time I found part of an animal's jaw in the chicken yard and thought I had found chicken teeth. Paul and Hammer got a good laugh from that. For years I thought when people spoke of something being as scarce as hen's teeth, they had somehow heard about that time in the chicken yard.
I remember the 8-ball race car at the West Baden track.
I remember the garage Paul operated below the French Lick High School - next to Purk's.
I remember the first trip west when I was in the 6th grade. We went by Ralph's in Illinois, and saw John and Lu Lu, and Fran and Cutie and others in Iowa. We saw the Yellowstone, and Badlands, the Rockies, and much more.
When we went on vacation Paul didn't care much about seeing the works of men. He cared about the natural works of God and about seeing family.
In 1962 we took another trip west. We saw Carl and Helen, and Lee and Bernice, and Homer and Grace. We saw Carlsbad, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and many other natural wonders.
There are many memories of the farm they still live on. I remember the hog's, the sheep and finally the cattle. I can still see Paul walking down the road with a large fence post on his shoulder. It was so big I could hardly lift one end of it.
In later years, I remember bowling at the hotel with Paul and Joe and Tony and Nick and Amos and many others.
There are no memories I wish to hide, only ones I wish to keep.
JOE REMEMBERS
When times were hard in Northwest township Paul hued cross ties with an ax. As Joe grew up his dad impressed him with how skillful he could be with an ax. He told him about striking his foot when he hit a glancing blow. It struck an artery but he made it home and found help. Paul loved to fish and hunt and they did a lot of that together.
Paul was very proud of his military service which lasted 4 years and 8 months during WW II. He served in the Army and spent a lot of time in New Guinea and the Philippines - receiving several citations. We have had the pleasure of knowing some of his friends from those days and hearing them tell of their experiences from that era.
Joe remembers walking up a mountain in Glacier when his dad asked him what they would do if a bear came after them. Joe told him they should "run for the hills" but Paul reminded him they were already in the hills.
As long as Joe can remember, his dad would read the paper every night and work the crossword puzzle.
Paul was penned under a tractor once which had turned over on him. I think he was worried most at the time about the snake there with him.
Joe remembers that most of all our father taught us what rewards honesty, hard work and integrity can bring a person.
JANNA REMEMBERS
Janna remembers when Paul hurt his back and while he was off work, taught her to play solitaire.
She remembers if she needed to spell a work - he was her dictionary.
Janna remembers he always had to have round Holland butter.
Janna had the best collection of leaves for the sixth grade project - over 50 kinds - her dad knew every tree by its bark or leaf.
Paul would recall every minute of a family vacation, every road number we traveled and every place we stayed.
Janna knows her dad taught her honesty, kindness, hard work and to use her mind. With these, anything can be accomplished.
He taught her not to worry about things out of our control.
He taught her the strength of family and how no matter what - you were always there for your family.
He taught her unconditional love.
When Janna went to tell him about the plane crash - for the first time she saw him sob - then he quit crying and said there was not one thing we can do - life goes on.
MORE FROM KEITH
The only missing ingredient in most of my life was an outward relationship between Paul and Christ. But I felt many years ago this would take place in time - even if I didn't understand how it would happen. In God's time, He sent along Randy to help complete the work. In the end Paul became more than a good father and a good example. He became a Christian brother.
Although Paul was baptized and joined the church this winter, I believe he knew Christ from a time before my memories. I believe he started believing from the times he went to church as a youth and that belief was enriched and deepened during the trials and horrors of war.
Like learning of Jesus in the writings of the Bible, I can see the love of Christ in the stories and writings of my father Kenneth. But as the Spirit of Christ guides daily, I saw from the example of Mother's and Paul's lives the love of Christ.
There are a few things I never learned at home. I never learned how to be a fake. Paul was always just what you saw. He never pretended to be anything he wasn't. I see this in my daughter Irena. Her success in plays doesn't come from pretending to be someone else, but from becoming that character for a time.
Paul was practical. He didn't value things by what they claimed to be - but by what he saw them to be. I learned to examine whatever I did to see if it was practical. Did it work? If I got too bogged down with the details and theories of religion, Paul's example led me to examine what I was doing and hold on to the parts that worked. That's the way Jesus worked too. He didn't have much patience with the hypocrites. He cared more about the widow's mite and the publicans honesty than the Pharisee's self praise.
I never learned at home how to discriminate. Mother and Paul showed me Christ's love by the way they treated people without regard to how much money they had, or what their beliefs were.
Paul seemed to spend all of his time working but a large percent of that work was in helping neighbors or anyone he could. A neighbor to Paul wasn't just someone living next to him. It may be someone in the hospital bed next to him or someone he just met at the store. You couldn't talk to Paul five minutes without feeling you knew him for years. I believe that too is one of the characteristics Jesus had when He was here in the flesh.
I remember not so much what Paul said as what he did and was. He led by example. When you knew Paul, you knew what honesty was. Maybe when he was in the garage business his honesty lead him to trust others too much, but I think that is how it should be. When you knew Paul, you knew what it was to be genuine.
The Bible tells us the church was built on a foundation of those who had gone before us and on Jesus as the main corner stone. A family too is built on a foundation of those who have went before us. The same Christian traits that I see in Mother and Paul, I see in Carolyn and Robin and Tony and in their parents. When I look at our children, I am so grateful to God for the values and love that has been handed down and has helped shape their lives.
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