Rudolf Stumpf

Rudolf Stumpf, 84, passed away at his rural Alda home of over 50 years on June 18th, 2026.

Memorial service will be 11:00 am Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses in Grand Island. Inurnment will be at 3:00 pm at the the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery at Grand Island. Online condolences can be sent to www.apfelfuneralhome.

Born in WWII Vienna, Austria, on March 25, 1942, Rudy immigrated with his family after surviving post-war Austria in displaced persons camps. They settled in Los Angeles, where he grew up, graduating from Lennox High School. He served in the U.S. Army’s 39th Signal Battalion stationed in Vietnam. He then met and married Margaret Watkins of Inglewood, Calif. They moved to rural Cairo, Nebr. at the invitation of Dennis Schlund to help with his hog farm.

They moved to rural Alda in 1973 and raised their two daughters.

Rudy had a variety of jobs including newspaper distribution both in Inglewood and in Grand Island, baker at Rainbow Bakery, and sheet metal worker at Sperry New Holland. He held numerous short-term jobs to get the family through the tough times of the farm crisis of the 1980s. Rudy was a long-time member of Grand Island’s Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses and more recently was a member of the GI Liederkranz, serving as their German instructor in their German language night for several years.

Rudy enjoyed traveling. He made many trips throughout his life, solo or with family, usually including stops to see friends and family on his way.

Rudy was always ready to lighten the mood with a joke or quippy line to make you smile and will be deeply missed by his daughters, sister, cousins, and his many dear friends at the Grand Island Kingdom Hall, whom he was always willing to help.

Preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Maria, and his brother Karl. Survived by his daughters Stephanie Maxey and Trish Stumpf Garcia, son-in-law, grandchildren Diego and Isabel, his half-sister Liz Dahlin, and his former wife.