The "Memory Tree"
Such a beautiful story about the “The Memory Tree” as told by Matthew Bliss, grandson to this great designer !
The Story
My Grandpa, Lawrence “Bud” Stoecker designed his first modern version of the Christmas tree made of concentric rings in 1966. From the tree’s inception in the mid 1960’s, through the 70’s and 80’s, the design was refined. In addition, the tree was decorated differently each year. Some of these changes are documented in photos. They are also documented on paper in painfully detailed notes and codes, patterning the organization of ornaments and decorations used for that particular year, so as not to repeat what had already been done.
-Why did he decide to make a tree rather then purchase a traditional tree each year?
Grandpa was an engineer and spent the majority of his professional life building A-frames in the Rocky Mountains. His A-Frame business is what fed the family, so the triangle shape was one that was near and dear to his heart. So much so that after seeing a proctologist because of a problem, proclaimed, “I’m pooping A-Frames!” They also had little money and this coupled with his engineering brain and desire to create drove him to build things. One year it was a Christmas present for his 1st grandson (a workbench, my older brother Adam was six). Another year it was an ice skating rink in the backyard. His modern Christmas tree was the family favorite.
$50 of each tree sold will go to the Alzheimer’s Association (
www.alz.org) in support of their mission to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.
