David Dale Stocksen...Age 76

VISITATION: 1-3PM SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2015 - EDDY-BIRCHARD FUNERAL HOME

SERVICE: 10:00AM MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015
CROSS POINT CHURCH, 1016 N. PEARL ST. PAOLA, KANSAS

BURIAL: OSAWATOMIE CEMETERY, OSAWATOMIE, KS

MEMORIAL: MIAMI COUNTY CANCER FOUNDATION

Memorials may be sent in care of:
Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064


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David Dale Stocksen age 76, of Osawatomie, Kansas died Thursday, March 5, 2015 at his home.
David was born on March 13, 1938 in Medford, Oklahoma, the third of four children to Adolph James and Margaret Agnes (Kabuck) Stocksen.

When David was five years old his family moved to Kansas and settled on a farm in Greeley, Kansas. He attended grade school in Greeley and attended high school at Lane High School, Lane, Kansas graduating with the class of 1956.

One day he went home with his friend Fred Cole, who introduced him to his sister Mary and the start of a lifelong relationship began. A year later on July 7, 1956 David married Mary Louise Cole at her family’s home in Beagle, Kansas. David was working for the State driving a truck on the road crew out of Garnett, Kansas so the couple moved to Garnett for about a year. The young couple moved to Osawatomie in 1957 and still reside in the same house. They became the parents of four children, Paula, Randy, Margie and Diana.

David was a union truck driver and went to work for Clemens & Green in Paola, Kansas for about two years, then was employed by Ross Truck Lines of Paola for another two years. In the early 1960’s he went to work for ABF Truck Lines and remained there until he retired in 1997. David was proud of his trucking career, along with the fact that he drove his rig over a million miles with not one ticket or accident, quite an outstanding record for any trucker. He was a member of the Teamsters Union Local #41.

Being a trucker he loved to travel, him and wife Mary went on hundreds of trips, traveling to every state with the exception of Hawaii by car, they even drove to Alaska. If they were not traveling cross country there were at one of their favorite lakes. David loved camping, fishing and hunting, so many trips to the Lake of the Ozarks, Pomona Lake and Hillsdale Lake were visited many times for camping, fishing and fun with the family.

David was a quiet, reserved man, but one of great integrity, an honest, hardworking man that would help anyone. He loved his family first and foremost and loved to spend time with his grandchildren. But he did have an ornery side and loved to pull pranks on people. He was a devoted Oklahoma Sooners fan so neighbors that like their KU and the Nebraska Huskers team flags flying in the yard, well sometimes those flags were switched from house to house by none other than David, oh how he enjoyed doing that. He was an excellent woodworker making many wonderful things for family and friends like wagons, tricycles, benches and trunks all handmade of wood by him, were always thrilled to receive.

David loved to play basketball and baseball, when he was in high school he was asked to try out for the St. Louis Cardinals, his coach at school took him to St. Louis and he was only rejected because he was less than an inch too short for the height requirement. He continued to be active in baseball coaching the Little League team his son Randy was on for several years.
Even though he was struggling with his illness he truly loved attending church at Cross Point Church in Paola whenever his health would allow him.

David was preceded in death by his parents and his only son Randolph James “Randy” Stocksen in 1978 at the young age of eighteen, grandson Jacob Benedict, great granddaughter Calliope Conner and half-sister Jeannie Ruiz.

He is survived by his wife Mary of the home, and daughters: Paula (Eugene) Koger of Evergreen, Co, Margie (John) Miller of Garnett, KS and Diana (Lyle) Diediker of Osawatomie, KS. Three siblings: Ramon Stocksen of Garnett, KS , Daniel Stocksen of Emporia, KS and Ruby Hunsperger of Osawatomie, KS. Nine grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren. Along with many other family and friends.