Timothy K. Stence, 75 of Carroll, died Monday, December 4, 2023 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll with his family by his side.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m., Saturday, December 9, 2023 at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Fr. Timothy Schott. Music will be by Kathy Halbur. Lector for the Funeral Mass will be Suzanne Poland. Gift Bearers will be Lucy Badding, Baxter Badding, and Alex Stence. Eucharistic Minister will be Joni Badding. Casket Bearers will be Zachary Stence, Robert Badding, Charles Badding, Jack Poland, Sam Poland, Tony Badding, Nicholas Stence and Steve Poland. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll.
Visitation will be from 12:30-1:45 p.m. on Saturday at St. Lawrence Church prior to the Funeral Mass. Following the burial, a reception and celebration of Tim’s life will be held at the Sharp Center in Carroll.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left at the church for a later designation. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Tim’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Timothy was born on May 25, 1948, the son of Vincent and Virginia (Humphrey) Stence. He was a friend to everyone and a stranger to no one. A spirited child, Tim would occasionally venture into mischief, once accidentally setting fire to his coat with a candle at a church service. Despite this, he was a terrific student, graduating from Central High School in Elkader in 1966. Tim played football, earning all-state honors as a starting center his senior year. He also excelled in varsity basketball and track.
Tim then attended Loras College in Dubuque. He majored in history, a passion he would carry forward throughout his life. In college (at a party and with a drink in each hand), he met another student at neighboring Clarke College, who would become his wife of fifty-two years, Margaret “Peggy” Poland. Even though he left the northeast corner of the state to follow Peggy to her hometown of Carroll, he always kept Elkader in his heart, returning there often to visit the rolling bluffs of his childhood.
Tim’s first position was as a high school teacher at St. Bernard’s in Breda, where he also coached basketball. Coach Tim’s team famously defeated Breda’s nearby rivals, the Kuemper Catholic Knights, during his sole year there. Tim and Peggy then moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1971. They both taught at Blessed Sacrament for ten years, before moving to Carroll with their two children, Nick and Gina. Tim made a career change in Carroll, working as a printer at Stone Printing and Office Supplies until his retirement in his early 50’s. He won the Friendly Award from the Carroll Chamber of Commerce before his retirement, a testament to Tim’s well-known gift of gab. Among his favorite topics were sports, his children, and his grandchildren. Tim spent his final years at Regency Park in Carroll, where he was loved and cared for by an amazing and generous staff. He was famous there for being a character, teasing everyone and keeping them on their toes.
Tim is survived by his wife, Peggy Stence; children: Nicholas (Laura) Stence of Denver, Colorado, and Gina (Tony) Badding of Carroll; grandchildren: Robert (Fletch) Badding, Zachary Stence, Charles Badding, Alex Stence, Lucy Badding, and Baxter Badding; siblings: Michael (Barb) Stence, Calista Reed, and Terry (Deb) Stence; and many nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law, and brothers-in-law.
Tim was preceded in death by his parents, Vincent and Virgina Stence; infant brother, Raymond; Peggy’s parents, Philip and Anne Poland; and brother-in-law, John Poland.
The family would like to give a special thanks to Regency Park for their devoted care, attention, and compassion during Tim’s later years.
