Wilfred G. Stoscup (1900-1962)

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Thinking of Grandpa on his birthday, November 19, 1900

Grandpa Stoscup shown here at Mom & Dad's house holding my brother David in early 1955.


I wish I could say I remember Grandpa Stoscup, but he was gone by the time I was two years old.

Wilfred (left) shown with brother Charles Stoskopf visiting from Canada (right) from possibly the late 1950s.

Both my Dad's parents were from Canada. Wilfred had a brother Alvin that died young in the 1930s. Alvin had a family with three offspring. My mother remembers seeing them as children living in the same neighborhood as herself and this was years before she ever met my Dad. I remember the day Alvin's son came to our house in Detroit to visit us. We recall that his wife was with him and pregnant with their first child.

Alvin's wife eventually remarried but never had any more children. One story my mother recalls is Alvin's wife asking Grandpa Wilfred if it would be okay to remarry which must have really touched Grandpa.

When Grandpa Wilfred bought cemetery plots he had his brother Alvin's grave moved to this new location. For me, seeing the name Alvin Stoskopf with that original surname spelling really impressed me and I never could get it out of my head.

Charles Stoskopf & his wife Marie visiting from Canada

The two Grandpas. Gordon Findahl on the left and Wilfred Stoscup on the right.

This was taken in the basement of the home I grew up in Detroit. Might be early 1950s as we have a "Grandmas" companion photo that looks like the same time frame.

My brother Dave with Wilfred on his first birthday, February 4, 1956.

I tried to 'retain' as much color possible that was not faded from this original color photograph.

Grandson David with Wilfred. I wish we had more pictures from Dad's side of the family but we don't. There are a few more shots including Wilfred that I'll use instead to remember Grandma Stoscup on her birthday in January.

Besides a brother named Alvin, Wilfred had a sister Arnette (Maves). I was able to speak to Arnette when she telephoned us to offer condolences after my father died in 1990.

Brother David with Grandpa Wilfred. (February 4, 1956)

I can't say I remember Grandpa, but the best story I have about us is the one where he would be holding me and we both would fall asleep and someone would have to catch me before I fell off his lap. I seem to remember a photo from 1962 with the both of us, but not certain if we have that one or not or it's just my imagination.

I see by Grandpa's obituary that he had another sister Edna (Hodgins). In addition to brother Charles (whom had a family of his own and married to a lady named Marie) Mom seems to remember two siblings that lived together in Canada. I believe they are (according to this obit) Alfreda Stoskopf and Arthur Stoskopf.

Wilfred married Anna Pauli and after coming to the United States from Canada, they had three sons.

Here's my dad, Robert from a photo taken about 1949.

Second son Gordon is shown here in a light-hearted photograph I always enjoyed from the 1950s.

The youngest, William was born in 1935.  Here's an early photo of him of which leads me to recall Dad's memories of "little Bill" and how cute he was as a child.

One of two postcards written almost exactly one year apart, this was from a trip to Florida in August of 1957 that Grandpa made with (possibly both) sons Gordon and Bill

I'm so very glad my parents kept something of Grandpa's writing I can remember him by.

Grandpa Wilfred, Sons Robert (my Dad), Gordon & the youngest William. Edith (married to Gordon) is seated and in the pool I see my brother David, cousin Janice & sister Shirley. (Probably taken during the summer of 1960 at Grandpa's home.)

When Stoskopf became Stoscup.

These facinating artifacts document the name change my Grandparents made in the mid 1940s. I believe Grandpa made the change at the same time he became an American Citizen. This shows Grandma Anna followed with the children on March 6th, 1945

It's official on March 26th, 1945. I believe the only reason we're fortunate enough to have these documents is because Dad just happened to be old enough that he had to give his individual consent to the name change. Of course, he went along with the family.

Dad never mentioned that World War 2 (still raging at this time) could have been any factor in the name-change, but he did mention that as "Stoskopf" his father got tired of people not being able to pronouce it correctly.  (I noticed the same problem with "Stoscup" so that idea never made the difference to me.)


Shown here is a wonderful family tree that Facebook Friend (and relative!) David Fetherston put together for myself and the Stoscup-Stoskopf family.  (There's even a little info on the Paulis I did not have.)

I want to thank David Fetherston for his priceless work.

This is something that I would never have known where to begin and with the information David Fetherston has given I'll have some fun trying to learn more about these folks.

Thanks David!