Stan Crader

Author Bio:

Stan Crader was born and raised in Bollinger County Missouri. Coming of age in rural Missouri provided him the material for many of the rich characters in his books. He credits the variety of jobs and the people with which he has worked for providing him his creative foundation. While growing up, his jobs included paper routes, mowing lawns, grocery store carry out, farm equipment set-up, sawmills, and janitor. One learns a great deal about people when they see what groceries they purchase.

After graduating from high school he attended the University of Missouri, where he fully realized the uniqueness of his hometown. He met his wife Debbie at a Missouri / Nebraska football game, in which Missouri won. Stan and Debbie live in the Bollinger County area where they raised three boys and a golden retriever.

Stan is known for the unusual. He once caught a bat at a Cardinal baseball game, he and his wife were invited to the home of Stan and Lillian Musial, he flew the Atlantic in a Cessna, and his grandfather filmed him jumping a creek on a motorcycle.

He’s President of a small family business that sells Stihl chainsaws and power tools.
He was once elected city councilman of Marble Hill, the town where he came of age. In that capacity he gained a new respect for those that serve as volunteers in small towns. The mayor he served as councilman was also his former elementary school music teacher, which made for an interesting dynamic.

Proceeds from Stan’s books have always been donated to charitable organizations. Through a mutual friend, Stan was introduced to Chrisanne Gordon and Resurrecting Lives. Moments into his first conversation with Chrisanne, hearing the passion in her voice, and learning of RLF’s prodigious mission on behalf of America’s warriors, the decision to support Resurrecting Lives seemed providential.

Stan’s favorites:

Song - “House At Pooh Corner” by “The Nitty-Gritty Dirt Band”
Place to be – Home
Holiday – Christmas
Book – Bible
Food – Cherry Pie
Movie – Second Hand Lions

The Longest Year

Like all of his friends, Tommy Thompson dreams of obtaining the ultimate ticket to freedom: a driver's license. Unlike all of his friends, Tommy has just turned fifteen. He'll have to watch everybody else pass their tests before he's old enough to take his. But life goes on for the band of boys despite…

Paperboy

Paperboy tells the story as only an afternoon paperboy in rural America in the sixties can. Thousands of readers identified with the unique characters of Colby while reading The Bridge. They grew to love Tommy and the band of boys, were entertained by their childish pranks, and touched by their generosity.…

The Bridge

Tommy Thompson recalls with vivid detail the summer of 1967, when he was twelve years old and living in a small town in rural America. At that time in his life, all he wanted was a Honda motorbike, and he believed the smartest person in the world was his Uncle Cletus. The Bridge follows Tommy's summer-long…