WOLCOTTSVILLE: Friends upgrade house for Bob Stahl, ALS sufferer

By Bill Wolcott
E-mail Bill
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

By Bill Wolcott

wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com

WOLCOTTSVILLE — Bob Stahl, a dairy farmer who served on the Royalton Town Board for 12 years, made many friends during his life on Wolcottsville Road.

He had no idea how many.

Friends, and friends of friends, are doing the country thing and repaying his kindness with major house repairs. About 14 men and women began work on work on the house Thursday and they plan to finish off the endeavor for Bob and Shirley Stahl in time for a Sunday evening homecoming.

“Carson Kelly and his wife, Cindy, got it started. I don’t know why, but out of the goodness of his heart he did,” said Shirley. “That’s what you do in the country. We can’t thank them enough.”

Bob Stahl, 73, has Lou Gehrig’s disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Patients may become totally paralyzed.

The founder of Stahl Brothers Dairy and Stahl Brothers Milk Haulers is in a wheelchair. Volunteers will build a sun room and add a ramp in order for him go out for air to see his old farm that his grandson Mitchell tends.

A new bathroom is in the works, with a shower that’s handicap accessible. Plus, there will be accessible doors and floors.

Carson Kelly of C & C Trucking and Excavating and other contractors will do the work. Chris Fry of Wolcottsville is carpenter who will head up electrical work. Bob’s nephew Jason Behar, also will pitch in as a carpenter, and Greg Linke will work on drywall.

Braunschild Development and CMF Development will provide workers. Kelly is the site contractor.

“There will be about 14 workers, in and out,” said Kelly, who is on the Royalton Zoning Board. “Some don’t know Bob. They are friends of mine and just come in to help.”

The community raised $30,000 at a spaghetti dinner and basket auction last Sunday at the Wolcottsville Fire Co. Trinity Lutheran in Wolcottsville and Concordia Lutheran of Newfane donated $10,000 through Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

“I just can’t explain it,” said Shirley. “It’s overwhelming. We didn’t know we had that many friends. There were people at benefit I didn’t even know. You can’t imagine it, unless you’re in those shoes.”

Bob and Shirley Stahl have known Carson Kelly since he was born.

“He’s helped a lot of people in town. He would do anything for anybody.,” Kelly said of Stahl . “I would go to his son’s house (Andy and Cheryl) and eat there. When my wife and I got married, we had no money and they fed us. That was 33 years ago.”

There were 600 spaghetti dinners sold at the benefit and about 300 baskets donated.

Bob Stahl can’t walk now, but is able to take a few steps with a walker. He can operate the lawn mower with hand controls, however.

“The boys lift him up on the lawn mower, and he mows all the family yards,” Shirley said. “It makes him feel like he’s doing something.”

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