By Karen Haave
One of the unexpected pleasures of touring the Heritage Center of Monee when it opened was discovering the collection of more than 500 miniature tractors owned by Richard Stuenkel.
An avid historian and lifetime member of the MHS, he was born in 1929 on his family’s Illinois Centennial Farm on Steger Road, where he passed away on May 12.
He was 94.
His family lived and worked on their dairy farm from the 1850s, and he decided in his teens he wanted to be a farmer, too.
The family still farmed with horses until 1939, when Richard was 10. He started driving tractors at age 11.
He worked on his parent’s farm until he married. After that he worked two or three other jobs, but continued to help on the farm weekends and evenings.
In 1961, Richard’s father retired, and he took over, working the family farm until he was 88 years old, his wife, Marjorie, and their three children alongside him.
He was a proud board member of School District 159 and a trustee of Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Richton Park, where he was laid to rest next to his wife.
Will County Threshermen’s Association member Brian Kestel recalled meeting Richard at the Manhattan Township Historical Society Museum on a weekend morning recently.
“Mr. Stuenkel was at the museum with a couple other volunteers,” Kestel said. “He was eager to greet us and shared a few stories about the museum and Manhattan’s history. He struck me as a very gentle man, who had passion about the area’s history.”
Manhattan Township Historical Society Trustee Joann Schmidt Jeffers remembered Richard for his “subtle” smile and positive nature.
“I met Richard through his many visits to the Manhattan Township Museum,” she recalled. “We soon discovered we had many connections through mutual friends and farming.
“Richard had a lot of knowledge about many things and always was willing to share his experiences with us. I loved to listen to his stories, which were rich in detail and always included a twinge of humor.
“My family farm and his were named Illinois Centennial Farms in the same year. I was unable to attend the ceremony at the Illinois State Fair, but Richard shared photos and memories of that with me. I often used Richard as my resource person when a question arose related to family histories, farm implements, or milking cows.
“I will miss my personal conversations with him. I always looked forward to seeing him at the museum. He often talked about his three kids.
“His smile was subtle, and he was always positive. He often would say, ‘You may not believe this, but…’
“I admired his knowledge, his recall of facts, his positive attitude, his dedication to preserving history, especially cemeteries, and his love of farming. He reminded so much of my father, Lloyd Schmidt.”
Jeffers said her favorite story about Richard involved cow magnets.
“Richard and I always shared farming or milking cows stories because I grew up on a farm with dairy cows. I loved to watch my dad milk the cows and thought I knew a lot about dairy cows,” she said.
“I will always remember the day Richard asked if my father (Lloyd Schmidt) used magnets in the stomach of the milking cows. I honestly thought he was teasing me. The next time he came into the museum, he had a magnet to show me.
“Sure enough, he was right! It is a weird fact that magnets are used by farmers to prevent a condition commonly known as Hardware Disease. Cows are prone to swallow their food whole and eat metal objects. The ‘cow magnet’ will attract any metal and prevent further problems for the cow.
“Richard gave me a magnet along with his comment that ‘I still have a lot to learn!’ I know he had a lot more to teach all of us! I will miss my conversations with Richard.”
Monee Historical Society President Christi Holston remembered Richard for his sense of humor and love of life.
“Richard Stuenkel and the Monee Historical Society found each other nearly 10 years ago,” she said. “In that time he and I became very good friends. He truly exemplified the old adage that age is just a frame of mind.
“He loved farming and could tell you the name of every cow, what year they went from hand milking to automatic milking machines, to the day they sold the last herd. His memory was amazing, and I learned so much. I now know why they fed each of the cows a magnet – google it!
“We always laughed a lot when we were together. He had a great sense of humor and never complained about getting older. He lived every day to the fullest.
“He had wonderful stories about his youth, but also kept up-to-date on the things he was passionate about: His work with his home church, preserving the local small and abandoned cemeteries in Green Garden, and imparting his knowledge to all of the local historical societies.
“Less than a week before he died, he drove to the Heritage Center, parked across the street because of the current construction, walked across the uneven ground, since the sidewalks were blocked, and got to the center right on time, because he had signed up to be one of the volunteer docents for the day.
“We didn’t have a lot of visitors that day so everyone else who was there got a chance to talk to him one-on-one. He was thoroughly captivating to one and all. Our 20-year-old intern, Skyllar, from GSU had never met him before and sat in awe after Richard told story after story.
“My last memory of my friend was walking arm in arm with him back to his car and laughing about nothing the whole way there. His was a life well lived, and I will miss him. One of his most important contributions is that not only did he touch everyone he met, but he wrote his memories down. He enriched not only those who knew him personally but also everyone who will read his stories in the future. He is an inspiration and will live on through the stories he left us.”
Richard Stuenkel is survived by his beloved children, Phyllis A. Stuenkel, Barbara Ann Stuenkel, and Duane R. Stuenkel; and numerous nieces, and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie (nee Klier) Stuenkel; parents, Otto and Amanda (nee Kampe) Stuenkle; and his siblings, Roger Stuenkel, Arwin Stuenkel, Sylvia Schmaedeke, and Loretta Keuch.