My Grandfather, Dore Dow Stephenson, known to most as Steve, chose Jesus! Not because he was forced to. Not because he was manipulated into it...but because he experienced the Love of a Savior, a Father who loved him no matter what...and he chose Him. That was a turning point in the line of his future generations that will forever be blessed! I can tell my children, and their children and their children and so on, that the decision that Grandpa Stephenson made, forever changed the course of our family.
He was raised in Texas, (whoo hoo) and then moved to New Mexico. He was working for the railroad when he met my grandmother, they fell in love, got married and my grandmother got pregnant! He left for World War II and my mom was born while he was overseas.
He was a pilot, flying from England over Germany bombing areas. His plane was shot at, and he had a very risky landing, which earned him a medal.(if I give you the exact account, I am quite sure I would mess it up, so this is simplifying it!) He would talk with anyone about his job in the military, about his flying experience, and his Love of our country. He would talk to you for HOURS about that! I loved it! I loved hearing about his joy and his passion!
the "jerilyne sue" named after my mom, you can see it barely written on the side of the plane
He returned home after WWII, and began to work on the railroad, he then transferred to a company in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he remained at his job until he retired.
During the early stages of his life, and in his marriage, he was not a Believer.
God was obviously protecting him, through 35 missions in WWII,, to prepare him to lead generations of people into a love of Christ.
My mother was in high school, attending church with her sister and mother, and my Grandpa would just stay home and read the newspaper. What they found out later, is that when they left for church, he would get his Bible out and begin to read. One week a revival came to town (Johnny Bisagno was the revival pastor) and he asked for people to walk over and touch the hand of someone they were praying for that did not know Christ. My mom went over to my Grandfather and touched his hand, but he was already walking into the aisle to accept Christ. And that was the beginning of a long, beautiful journey of following Christ with his heart, soul and spirit! He was a changed man!
I am sure that my mother and my aunt probably have different viewpoints than I do regarding the kindness and calmness of my grandfather (haha) but I only knew him as a kind, compassionate, loving, quiet, gentle man who loved Jesus. I have had the privilege of owning one of his Bibles and he read it and marked it up and prayed for people through that Bible.
The only incident I know of, regarding any anger, is when he was in a Deacon's meeting at his current church ( and they are all over 70 in that church) and one deacon basically called my grandfather a liar. Well, that was it! My grandfather was a quiet man, but when you attacked his character, he was ready to "take it outside" (my 6'3" grandfather and this very small man). The man, who apparently was very smart, decided against going outside...but I am sure my grandfather would have put the "love of Christ" into that man that day! I still laugh hearing him tell the story.
He created a legacy of loving Christ, loving people, knowing when to be quiet and when to speak up, honoring my grandmother with respect and dignity (even when she constantly talked his ear off!), and creating a safehaven for his family and for our generations to follow. I know that my sister and my cousins would agree with me, that he was a loving, Godly man that we all loved and respected and thank God for him in our lives and in our families.
When my grandmother passed away 3 years ago, my grandfather was there, holding her hand. He loved her and cherished her until the day she died. And he has missed her ever since.
He touched many lives in the last three years before he died, especially the lives of the people in the retirement home in which he lived. One lady who worked there, even nominated him to be able to fly in the same type of bomber airplane that he flew in WWII. Last year, at the end of June, he was picked to go up one more time, at the age of 93, into the big blue sky, and hear the roar of the engine and feel the plane lift off of the ground and experience what he loved to do, one more time!
waiting to get onto the plane in his original WWII bomber jacket
Following that, there are the couples who came every week to entertain at the home where he stayed. One particular couple would come weekly and my Grandpa loved them, and they loved him. He would get there early in order to have a good seat and be able to hear them. He requested one of his favorite songs "coming in on a wing and a prayer" to be sung, and they knew it. They would sing it every week for him when they came. Yesterday, they were informed that he was not going to make it much longer, so they came to his room, and the man who sings it, knelt next to my grandfather, took his hat off in respect, and quietly sang this song to him one more time. This is in honor of him:
He has been without my grandmother now for 3 years, and he was ready to go home. He was ready to go see the love of his life, go see the Savior that he faithfully served, and to be able to have a freedom to live in the fullness of Christ! It is finished and he has been a "good and faithful servant"
I thank him for being a wonderful father to my mother,
I thank him for being a wonderful grandfather to me
I thank him for loving on my children and being a patient great grandfather
I thank him for being a loving, Godly husband to my grandmother
I thank him for being a devout believer in Christ, and for following Him unashamedly for the rest of his life
I thank him for the spiritual legacy he has left behind, one that will be blessed from generation to generation.
20 Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21
I love you Grandpa!
