Dwight Stansel

Dwight Stansel
Dwight Stansel
Florida House of Representatives
In office 1998–2006
Personal details
Born	July 6, 1947 (1947-07-06) (age 64) Lake City, FL
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Glenda Avery
Children	son, Erwin, and daughter, Carmon
Residence	Wellborn, near Live Oak, FL
Alma mater	Suwannee County High School
Profession	Farmer
Religion	Baptist
Website	Representative Dwight Stansel

Dwight Stansel (born July 6, 1947) is a Florida politician of the Democratic Party and the former representative of Florida House District 11.

Early life and education

Dwight Stansel was born in Lake City, Columbia County, Florida to Bobby E. and Maudell J. Stansel, both of whom came from farming families. He grew up on the family farm in Wellborn, and graduated from Suwannee County High School in 1964. Stansel was raised Southern Baptist, and is a member of Mt. Beulah Baptist Church, in Wellborn, Florida.

Career

Early career, and career outside politics

After high school, Stansel joined the Florida National Guard, where he served for 10 years. Prior to purchasing the family farm and taking over the operations in 1986, Dwight was an airport manager at the Suwannee County airport. His father had already decided that the farm would be divided up amongst the four children and they could do as they pleased with their share of the land. Dwight's siblings, however, really had no interest in farming, and conceded their share of the land, allowing Dwight to take majority ownership, keep the farm going, and ensure that the land would remain with the family. Thus it became Dwight Stansel Farm and Nursery. After taking over the operation of the farm that was started in the 1880s in Wellborn, by his grandparents, John Vincent Stansel, and Kate Geneva (Stevens) Stansel, Dwight grew the farm into a very profitable business growing pine trees, tobacco, and peanuts, and raising chickens. Since 1986, Dwight Stansel Farm and Nursery has more than doubled in size, and now covers several hundred acres of land. Today, Dwight is still general manager, mostly overseeing the tree farm. He has recently gotten out of the tobacco business though. His son, Erwin, mostly oversees the peanut farm, and his wife, Glenda, was overseeing the poultry farm.

House of Representatives (1998-2006)

Dwight Stansel was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 11 seat in 1998.

When he took office in 1998, his District included the following counties: Columbia County, Hamilton County, Lafayette County, Madison County, Suwannee County and parts of Dixie County and Gilchrist County. In 2003, the area his district covered was then changed to include the following counties: Gilchrist County, Lafayette County, Suwannee County and parts of Alachua County, Columbia County, and Dixie County. Today, the district still represents the same general area, excluding Dixie County.

While in Legislature, Stansel became Vice Chairman of the State Agriculture Committee. He also served on the Agriculture and Environment Appropriations Committee, The Select Committee to Protect Private Property Rights, The State Infrastructure Council, State Resources Council, and The Transportation Committee.

While in office, Stansel sponsored seven bills. All but two of them died. The University of Florida Men's Basketball Team Bill (HR 9089) that Stansel sponsored passed unanimously, and state of Florida honored the 2006 UF Men's Basketball Team for winning the championship. He co-sponsored several other bills which includes the Affordable Housing Bill (HB 1363), and the Land Acquisition Management Bill (HB 1347). Being a farmer, and avid hunter, Stansel sponsored many land ownership and property rights bills as well as gun laws, and hunting regulations bills.

Stansel is also known for cracking the whip during the Florida House's annual "Boot Day", and explaining how it was used much more commonly in the early days of Florida, for cattle drives- which is where the term "cracker", or "Florida Cracker" came from.

Family

Dwight Stansel is the son of Bobby E. and Maudell J. Stansel.

Dwight's father, Bobby, was born on November 24, 1920, in Wellborn, FL. He was the 13th child of John Vinson Stansel, and Kate Geneva Stevens. Bobby was a farmer pretty much his whole life. He attended school in a one-room schoolhouse at Mount Beulah Baptist Church, which was located about a mile down the road from the farm. Bobby was educated through 12th grade and graduated from Suwannee High School, and then went back to work on the farm, as was customary of most farming families in those days. Bobby married his wife, Maudell, in 1940. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1942, and fought in World War II. After returning from war, Bobby continued to live on the farm, and oversaw its general operations until he retired in 1986, selling the farm to Dwight. Bobby continued to live on the farm with his wife Maudell, until her passing in 2008. At the time of Maudell's death, the then 87-year-old Bobby's health had already greatly deteriorated. About six months after his wife's passing, Bobby was rushed to the hospital with a broken hip. Bobby Stansel died on January 3, 2009, of a heart attack, in Lake City, FL. He was laid to rest next to his wife, at the Mt. Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery, in Wellborn, FL.

Dwight's mother, Maudell, was born on June 22, 1922, in Jasper, FL. She married her husband, Bobby, in 1940, and together they had four children, (in order of birth): daughter Paulette, son Dwight, daughter Carol Jean, and son Jimmy. Maudell lived on the farm with Bobby until her death on July 19, 2008, after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Dwight's paternal grandfather, John Vinson Stansel, was born on April 9, 1872, in Suwannee County, FL, to Jesse Porter Stansel, and Caroline Carver. He was one of at least eight children. Being born into a farming family, John started his own farm, which is still in the family, and known today as "Dwight Stansel Farm & Nursery." He married his wife, Kate Geneva Stevens, around 1890. Together, they had thirteen children (in order of birth): son Jesse (1893-1973), son James (1895-1896), son Virgil (1895-1970), son Edner (1902-1914), son Claude (1904-1905), daughter Vera May (1905-1910), daughter Roxie (1906-2000),son Raymond, son Paul (1907-1990), daughter Allie Mae (1909-1920), son Leslie (1912-1913), son Clyde (1914-1997), and son Bobby (1920-2009). They also had one other son. John, and his wife, Kate, lived in the original farmhouse, which was built around 1890, and farmed the land together until his wife died in 1951. John Stansel died of a heart attack on December 9, 1956. He was laid to rest next to his wife, at the Mt. Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery, in Wellborn, FL.

Dwight's paternal grandmother, Kate Geneva Stevens, was born on April 13, 1877, in Suwannee County, FL. She married her husband, John, and lived, and worked on the farm until her death on September 28, 1951.

Dwight's paternal great-grandparents were Jesse Porter Stansel, and Caroline Carver. Both were born into farming families. Jesse Porter Stansel was born in 1824, in Georgia, and served as a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. He was shot to death in 1872, a few months after Dwight's grandfather, John, was born. He is buried in a private cemetery, in Suwannee County. Caroline Carver was born on June 12, 1834. She died on Jan 5, 1904, and was buried in the Mt. Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery.

Dwight married his wife Glenda Avery, of McAlpin, FL, in the 1960s. Together they had 2 children, a son, Erwin, and a daughter, Carmon.

Erwin graduated from FSU and married Tylyn Capps and has 1 son, Logan.

After high school, Carmon went on to FSU. She married her high school sweetheart, Todd Frier. Together they have 2 children, a daughter, Carson, and a son, Koy.

Dwight's brother, Jimmy, died on April 22, 2009, at the age of 51, after suffering from Pancreatic cancer. He served with the Suwannee County Sheriff's Department for 31 years, before his retirement in 2008. He is survived by his wife, his son, and a grandchild.

References

Persondata
Name	Stansel, Dwight
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 6, 1947
Place of birth	Lake City, FL
Date of death
Place of death