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Bob 'Gramps' Steffenhagen Interview

Bob 'Gramps' Steffenhagen

Late this spring, I finally was able to swing by and visit my old friend, Bob 'Gramps' Steffenhagen.  He is 92 years young.  Virginia, his wife of 71 years had just passed away.  It was a good time to stop by, cheer him up, and talk about his life.

George:  Where where you born and what do you remember of your early years?

Gramps:  I was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1918.  When I was a baby, my parents moved to Michigan.  When I was young I worked on farms and harvested sugar beets.  I graduated from Morrice High School in 1936.  Morrice is a village east of Lansing.

George: When did you get married?  Where did you go from there? 

Gramps:   I married in 1939.  I then went to Detroit and worked in Mechanical Engineering.  I had an opportunity to start up a grocery store in St. Louis, Michigan in 1947.  I was successful at the store until a public bridge was being built across the river in 1956.  It prevented a large number of my customers from getting to my store.  So I had to close.  I loved living in St. Louis, but I had to go back to Detroit to work for Liberty Engineering from 1956 through 1969.

George:  When did you start woodworking?

Gramps:  I was always involved in woodworking in one form or another.  I started woodworking in my basement and worked there until I built my wood shop.   I built 100 tables for Liberty Engineering in addition to my engineering work.

My father was involved in woodworking too.  He built children's cradles until his death at age 85.

George: Where did you do your first craft show? 

Gramps:  My first craft show was with J & C Promotions.   The promoter was Carol Morr.  For a while I was doing 32-36 shows a year.  It was during this time, I made my first display shelf.  It was for a lady who made ceramics. 

George: You can't escape your display shelves.  I don't think I have been in a craft show in the last ten years where I didn't see at least one or two of them.

Gramps:   Once people worked with the display shelves they became popular.  It spread quite quickly by word of mouth.  A bunch of them just went to Maryland, Florida, and California.

George:  When did you do you last show?

Gramps:  Two years ago, in Cheboygan.

George: I hear your rocking horses have been quite popular too.

Gramps:  We have sent them to different parts of Europe including England, Germany, Hawaii, and Alaska.  Wherever the military families were stationed, the rocking horses were sent.

George:  I am sorry to hear about your wife Virginia's passing.  What is your secret for being married for 71 years?

Gramps:  You truly have to love each other.  First of all you have to know what the word love means.  Honestly.  Most of the people who don't stay married long weren't in love to start with.  You have to be sure or you have no business getting married.

George:  What are your final words for all of us youngsters out here.

Gramps:  I'll tell them just like I've told you all these years.  Don't work too hard, just work like hell!