Melvin James "Stub" Stafford died peacefully in his sleep on the family farm north of Scranton on July 21, 2021.  Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, July 26, 2021 at Pierce Congregational Church north of Scranton at 10:00 AM.  Burial will follow the service at Pierce Congregational Cemetery.  Visitation for friends and family will be held at Krebsbach-Kulseth Funeral Home in Bowman on Sunday July 25, 2021 at 7:00 PM.

Stub was born on August 19, 1925 to Thomas G. and Bertha (Still) Stafford in rural Slope County. He w as raised around Pierce, N D, riding his horse to attend Hume school, helping his dad at the family store and beginning his lifelong love of farming.

Farming was a big part of his life – he loved to be on the combine or hauling grain to town.  S ince S tub 's birthday was during harvest, he used to say the best birthday present he could receive was cutting 50 bushel wheat all day long .  He was a talented and hardworking farmer who loved what he did, and one his prouder achievements was receiving the Slope-Hettinger SCD Conservation Award in 1984.  He enjoyed getting together each week in the winter with several of the neighbors to head into town to league bowl at Lucky 4 Lanes . He continued to help out on the family farm after his retirement, working well into his 80's.

Stub m arried his first love Mar gery Freymiller on January 11, 195 1.  T o this union four children were born : Marilyn , Marwin , Marshall and Mitch ell . He and Margery raised their family and farmed together until her death in 1989.

Stub m arried his second love Venoy Drolc on May 25, 1991 . Along with Venoy , Stub gained five stepchildren: Jackie, Don, Curt, Dennis and Douglas. He and Venoy loved to go for drives and travel, attending a wide variety of grandchildren's activities and visiting other family members. Some of their favorite places were Deadwood (their first date location), Ludlow and The Marina to eat and catch up with family and friends.

Stub was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, neighbor and friend.  His smile and good-natured personality will be missed by those who knew him.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Marg ery , sister Elsie , brother Merle , sister-in-law Jesse Stafford, and two sons-in-law, Mark Brucker and Phil Hall .

He is s urvived by his wife, Venoy, c hildren Marilyn Brucker, Marwin (Mona) Stafford, Marshall (Jody) Stafford and Mitch (Darla) Stafford ; step-children Jackie (Jim) Eich , Don Drolc , Curt (Zeta) Drolc , Dennis (Mona) Drolc and Doug (Jill) Drolc ; g randchildren Megan (Dustin) Johnsrud, Cole (Tabby) Stafford, Alex (Mellissa) Stafford, Todd Larson, Tami (Doug) Ferguson, Kyle (April) Gossen , Logan Drolc , Kayla (Travis) Witt, Erika Drolc , Chelsey (Jesse) Baus , Cody Drolc , Chloe Drolc and David Drolc ; g reat-grandchildren Evie, Kitt, Vera and Deacon Johnsrud, Kirby and Katie Larson, Zach and Lucas Ferguson, Rylie, Kylie and Brody Gossen , Brock and Rhyle Hotchkiss, London and Lily Baus , Emily, Adalynn and Kaydence Witt .