Retirement (1976-1989)

Mr. Stover continued to teach part time at Northwestern until the early 1980s. He gave a recital in 1981 and another in 1986. In 1985, he participated with the Falcone Alumni Band tour of Italy. In 1987, he composed Rondo Marziale and conducted it at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Oscar continued to organize the Miss Northwestern Pageant, with the assistant of Catherine. Both went to Europe several times on tour with the Red Carpet Country Choir, an organization composed mostly of church choir members from Northwestern Oklahoma. 

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Note from Leonard B. Smith

In the mid to late 1980s, Ed Huckeby (Oscar's successor at Northwestern), composed and dedicated Blue Lake Reflections for Oscar. The title refers to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan. Founded by Fritz & Gretchen Stansell, alumni of Stover's ensembles at Michigan State. Click on the link below to listen to a recording. The ensemble performing is unknown.

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The videos below are from the original drobnakbrass website. They include many of the memorabilia foundi n the archives. Music has been added to most.

Above: 1976-1977. Former student Wayne Chan and family visit the Stovers from Hong Kong. Wayne named his son after Oscar. 

1977 - 1978

1978 - 1979

Above: 1979-1980. Stover served as Homecoming Parade Marshal and continued to organize the Miss Northwestern Pageant. He also judged other beauty pageants and traveled to Europe with the Red Carpet Country Choir. 

1980-1981. This year featured the 50th Anniversary of Oscar's High School Graduation. He also took a trip to Great Britain with the Red Carpet Country Choir.

1981-1982. This year featured a return trip to Michigan State University for the fall Marching Band Alumni Game. In Oklahoma, Floyd McClain returned to Alva as a featured guest at Northwestern's Homecoming Game. In the 1940s, McClain wrote the Fight Song and Alma Mater for Northwestern as part of a contest for new school songs. There is a great picture of Oscar with Susan Powell, Miss America 1981. Oscar judged the Miss Southwestern Pageant that year.

Above: 1982-1983.  Oscar returned to Coffeyville Junior College to celebrate his Golden Anniversary of alumnus status. He also turned 70, visited the Chan family in Hong Kong, and judged numerous beauty pageants. This year's scrapbooks had a feature on the train in his basement. 

1983-1984 Oscar Stover Archives. This video has some duplicate picture slides that may be backwards. I will fix the problem at a later time.

1984-1985 scrapbook archives. Several Oklahoma Beauty Pageant Programs that Oscar judged. First Stover Band Scholarship awards at NWOSU.

1985-1986. Oscar returned to Michigan State University to participate in Alumni Day. He also was named to the International Board of Phi Beta Mu and judged several beauty pageants.

1987-1988 memorabilia. 1987 featured Oscar's first trip to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. The camp was founded by two of his (and Leonard Falcone's) former students: Fritz an Gretchen Stansell. Ed Huckeby dedicated his work Blue Lake Reflections to Oscar and it was premiered during the 1987 summer season. Also this year, Oscar was able to attend the second annual Leonard Falcone Festival, and his name is listed as a contributor in the program. Oscar represented the camp at The Midwest Clinic, an annual convention held in Chicago for music educators. 

1989. Mr. Stover is inducted into the Oklahoma Music Educator's Hall of Fame. He makes his final conducting appearance in April with the Northwestern Ranger Band in Alva. Music in the background is from ensembles he conducted or played in throughout his career.