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A small chapel built with big hearts receives an unforgettable dedication at The Journey Home.

The Doris Stumpff Chapel of Grace was dedicated on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at The Journey Home in Bartlesville. The chapel was dedicated in the memory of Doris Stumpff of Bartlesville.

Journey Home Board Member and Executive Vice President of Stumpff Funeral Home and Crematory's Scott Holz says he is proud to honor Doris Stumpff and the legacy the Stumpff family has created in Bartlesville.

Doris and her husband Keith Stumpff decided to live and raise their family in Bartlesville, and in 1966 established the Bartlesville Stumpff Funeral Home. Doris was involved in many civic and humanitarian organizations in Bartlesville and very involved in her community.

A tragic accident claimed Doris' life in 2002. There was heartache felt by many members of her community and certainly her family.

Different ideas were discussed throughout the years about what improvements would be appropriate for the land behind the Journey Home. Some mentioned a gazebo, others thought gardens but when Holz, Executive Vice President of Stumpff Funeral Home and Crematory, and a Journey Home Board Member, came up with the idea and funding for a chapel, the idea became a reality. Holz's conception, a place to gather for families and friends in the woods behind the home that is peaceful, tranquil and filled with grace.

The chapel is complete with stained glass windows, wooden benches and open barn door sides that create a breezeway nestled among the trees.

Journey Home Board Member Polly Wilson says the Doris Stumpff Chapel of Grace feels as if it has been there for a long time. Wilson says she loves everything about the chapel because it just belongs there. She says the space makes people feel at home.

Wilson says The Journey Home hopes the community feels comfortable at the chapel. She says they are so happy to have the space for the families of the guests that stay at The Journey Home where they can fuel up, pray, cry, or do whatever it is that they need to do.

Wilson says all of it was built entirely by volunteers. She says the group, led by Joe Lewis, retired from Phillips 66, worked tirelessly day in and day out in order to complete the project. These dedicated men gave countless hours of their time to make sure the little chapel was perfect for all the guests and families that come to The Journey Home. 

The Journey Home is as a non-profit, donation supported 501(c)(3) organization that provides care to those at the end of their lives.  It is an incredibly comforting space that allows family and friends a place to be that is not clinical but homey and loving.  All the care provided is free of charge to anyone in need of their service. 

Director Doug Quinn says they would not be where they are today without the generosity and love of the community. Quinn says the chapel is a space where people can come and have peace when their world is turned upside. He says families will be free to be in a loving place in their time of need and loss.

It is believed that the chapel is the perfect addition for family, friends and all of Bartlesville and Dewey that need respite from the rigors of life, the pain of loss or the need to be alone and pray.