David M. Stenger

David M. Stenger, age 73, died peacefully on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 surrounded by his loving family.  He was born October 17, 1949 in Peoria, IL the son of Joseph and Mary (Kelch) Stenger.  He graduated from Bergan High School in Peoria, IL in 1967 and from the University of Illinois in 1972 with a degree in Forestry.  After moving to Oregon, he married Shirley Schiller on December 28, 1974 in Chicago, IL.  Dave and Shirley settled in Oregon where they have lived ever since. Dave spent 37 years as the manager of Sinnissippi Forest Tree Farm, acting as a boss and life mentor for hundreds of local youth over both the summer shearing and winter harvest seasons until his retirement in 2009. During his career, one of Dave’s great honors was to serve on the National Christmas Tree Association Board for 10 years, including 2 years as National President. Through his time serving on the NCTA Board, Dave built lifelong friendships with fellow Christmas tree growers from across the country.

Dave also deeply loved and served his local community. He was an active member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, the Oregon-Nashua Township Board, and the Oregon Lion’s Club for 34 years where he served in several offices including a recent tenure as President. Throughout his life, Dave was an avid outdoorsman, gardener, hunter, and fisherman. He spent 21 years guiding the annual Sinnissippi Farm Deer Hunts on what is today the Lowden-Miller State Forest, followed by many years with his son on annual deer hunts on their property in Brown County IL.  Dave was a passionate fan of the Illini, Cubs, and Bears and organized many memorable tailgates over the years. He loved traveling to see new places, from road trips across the Midwest, to fishing trips in Canada, to cruises across Europe and Alaska. As much as Dave loved to travel, he was right at home spending time with his kids and grandkids “in the country”.