Stenholm was born and raised in Hinsdale, Illinois, a small Chicago suburb. During his childhood, Hinsdale was used for on-location scenes in 3 major studio films:
- Backdraft (directed by Ron Howard; starring Robert DeNiro and Kurt Russell).
- A League of Their Own (directed by Penny Marshall; starring Tom Hanks and Geena Davis).
- and the film adaptation of Dennis the Menace starring Walter Matthau.