Tampa Bay Hidden Treasures
 People, Places, Art, Businesses, Products, Organizations, History, Trails, Nature, Museums, Towns and Fun Places ​​
Treasure List

Our Elders

1/31/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Robert Stoessner, January 4th, 2017
An often overlooked treasure in any community is the collective knowledge, wisdom, and experience of our elders. Having lived through so many great cultural and technological changes gives them additional perspective on things that younger generations lack. Learning about the past can broaden our understanding of the present, allowing us to better appreciate the progress we have made – or to keep us humble over what we might have lost. They keep history alive. What was school like? Transportation? Home life? Presidential campaigns? Having grown up in such a different world makes them the equivalent of immigrants from another country. Why visit Europe or Africa when you haven’t even visited past America?
​
I like stories of adventure. Not everyone has had an especially adventurous life, but since life itself is an adventure, everyone has a story of some kind. The longer the life, the more stories there are. What stories of bravery, cowardice, genius, and stupidity can our elders tell? I recently interviewed Robert Stoessner on his hundredth birthday in Dunedin to find out what stories he had to tell. It seems he has fought with the weather his whole life. During the Second World War, Stoessner was in the Tenth Mountain Division. He trained in Texas, which was “hotter than a son of a gun,” and in Colorado, which was “colder than hell.” Eventually, he was sent to Italy and the Axis powers surrendered soon after, but not before sixty men developed frostbite.

The Tenth is known for moments great and not-so-great. They were pivotal in ousting the Germans from the Alps after scaling Riva Ridge in the middle of winter – at night – to make a surprise attack from a direction the Germans didn’t even patrol because they deemed it unclimbable. It was a great moment. They were also the ones who lost more men to friendly fire than they did to the Japanese while in the Aleutian Islands. It happens.

After returning to the United States Stoessner lived in Ohio. He was married for seventy years, raised three sons, and worked in Ford’s foundry until finally escaping the “terrible weather” of Cleveland by moving to Florida in 1977. I asked him what the best thing was about Florida. “It’s warm,” he said. Stoessner now lives in Rosewood House managed by Angels Senior Living, which strives to keep the retirement years fun – and at just the right temperature.

Most of us know someone over seventy. What can they tell you?

Written by Daniel Noe, InkDoodler.com
1 Comment
Cathy Stoessner
3/25/2017 02:08:20 pm

Wonderful picture of Dad. We were most appreciative of the article written about him. Not everyone makes it to 100!
Thank you for posting it online, as we live in another state.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Hidden Treasures

    Treasure List

    Town List

    All
    Apollo Beach
    Balm
    Bradenton
    Brandon
    Clearwater
    Dunedin
    Gibsonton
    Largo
    Lithia
    Lutz
    New Port Richey
    Palmetto
    Palm Harbor
    Parrish
    Riverview
    Ruskin
    Safety Harbor
    Sarasota
    St Petersburg
    Sun City Center
    Tampa
    Tarpon Springs
    Thonotosassa
    Wimauma
    Zephyrhills

    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    RSS Feed

TOWNS

​​Town List

Company

About
Write 

Support

Contact
FAQ
Terms of Use
© COPYRIGHT 2015 - 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.