Joe Stahlkuppe

Visitors to the Gardendale Farmers Market or Gardendale Pickers likely know Joe Stahlkuppe. The singing, larger than life personality is often seen at those locations, giving away Bibles and providing support for his fellow local veterans. We asked why he chose to make Gardendale his home for the last 40 years.

“The people here are different,” he said simply. “They are giving. I meet a lot of people who say ‘I don’t want to take a Bible, but I have a lot of Bibles to give,’ and then they show up with Bibles for me to give away. I also think the generosity and genius of the people here make the difference. There are some really smart people in Gardendale who really think about things before they act. The people here are here because they want to be there.”

Stahlkuppe said he likes the local churches and the local businesses, often being greeted by name when he enters them during his weekly errands.

“People treat people right,” Stahlkuppe said. “I feel at home in Gardendale, and I grew up in Atlanta.”

Stahlkuppe and his wife, Cathie, moved to the city decades ago and his son graduated from Gardendale High School. Cathie was active in the community before her death last year. Stahlkuppe has sometimes met resistance when giving Bibles away in local communities, but not in Gardendale.

“The mayor came by earlier,” Stahlkuppe said. “He knows me and came by and shook my hand. He’s always interested in doing something in the city.”

The bottom line is that Gardendale is filled with people who genuinely care about their neighbors.

“The people who are here are interesting and care about each other,” Stahlkuppe said. “That’s not something you can get in every city.”