Volume 26 Issue 2 October 2018

Stewart Fall Reunion At the September Cousin Lunch, we set Oct 13 for the Fall Family Reunion, to be held at Sue Hurst's house. Last year, the small crowd was mostly first-gen cousins, so everyone pretty much recognized one another through the grey hair and wrinkles. Tradition dictates that if there is food, any and all are welcome and will find a place to perch. Please put this on your calendar for the day, or--if other plans intrude--plan on stopping by for a quick hello.

We all appreciate Sue hosting. The big news this year is that our Uncle Dave will be here!  We cousins made a group call and caught up with him lunching with Lisa and Jim.  After our chat, Lisa quickly got the ball rolling and presto! she and Dave are flying in for a visit, arriving Oct 10 in time for the reunion on Saturday. Last time many of you saw them was at our final BT fall reunion in 2016 with Mary, when we ate a Thanksgiving Day dinner in October. No turkey/dressing this time around, but production of good food has never been a problem for this crew. 

Saturday, October 13 Gather at 11:30 - Eat at Noon

1024 Claridge Place Kirkwood, MO

Bring a dish to share. There isn’t a lot of prep space so keep it simple. The Committee will provide tea, wine, coffee, tableware and napkins. You can bring any other beverage of your choice. Psst….kids, Sue has a WIFI if you care to bring your devices. Also, Sue’s faithful cleaning lady and friend, Dixie, will be on hand to take care of cleanup. Any donations are most welcome.

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The Stewart Family Bulletin

Lucille * Paul * Jess * Olive * Martha * John * Clifford * Clark * Mary * Joe * David

Stewart Family Fall Reunion, 2017 Kirkwood, MO

The Stewart Family Bulletin October 2018

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Andrew Thomas, son of Margaret Lawless and T. Donley Thomas, was married to Christina Angelique Puentes on June 23 in Austin, TX. The wedding took place on a charter cruise boat on Lake Austin. Andrew is employed by the Health Sciences department of Austin Community College and freelances as a videographer and film director. Christina, originally from Corpus Christi, teaches high school English and will be entering graduate school in 2019 for a degree in public policy. The couple reside in Austin with their equally attractive and intelligent dog, Max.

Notes ‘ News

Jess Stewart Family

No news from the Jess Stewart family….according to Facebook (that place where nothing is a secret), a large part of the family is on an exciting trip to the Grand Canyon. We’ll just have to wait until the next newsletter to hear all about their travels.

Cliff Stewart Family

Allen Lawless, husband of Margaret Stewart Lawless, recently retired from full time employment as Quality Assurance Manager at SCA Pharmaceuticals in Little Rock, AR. He will be working part time at the company for special projects and expects to retire completely in the spring of 2019. He remains active in local musical ensembles and recently spent a week in Berlin for a reunion of the Berlin U.S. Military Veterans Association (BUSMVA) where he was elected treasurer of the organization. Margaret is contentedly retired from teaching and actively works in the democratic campaigns for Governor of Arkansas and the 2nd congressional district.

BABY NEWS Please welcome Ella Shea Bethany Hamilton to the family. Ella entered the world on July 21 2018 at 7 lbs 9 oz.  She is the daughter of Jamie Hurst & Brian Hamilton, granddaughter of Jim & Sandy, and sister to Zach and Alex. The family lives in Hecker IL. 

The Stewart Family Bulletin October 2018

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Notes ‘ News, continued

Clark Stewart Family

Belinda and Mike Lower took a short trip to Louisville, KY in August, meeting up with Ohio friends and taking in the sites. In September, they went to Austin for a wedding and to visit a dear high school friend. Belinda was successful in getting Mike to stop in Waco on the way home for a quick look-see at the infamous Magnolia Market.

Jennie and Eleanor Lower crossed the pond in July with Jennie’s mother, Lyn, to visit the homeland of Jennie’s parents. Though the temperatures were very hot, they had a wonderful time seeing some sites as well as spending quality time with cousins and family.

Jim Hurst endured his 6th and 7th spine surgeries since December 2017.  The 6th surgery in December was to remove all of the hardware from the 5th surgery he had in 2016 due to an infection in the hardware.  On June 13th, after waiting for the infection to go away, he had his 7th surgery to install brand new hardware in his spine.  Success!  Jim can now stand up straight without wearing a Ninja-turtle style brace and feels great!  In his young adult days he stood 6'2" tall.  After 7 spine surgeries, he stands 5'9 1/2"...but he stands comfortably, feels good and looks great.

Zach Hurst, son of Jamie Hurst and grandson of Jim & Sandy, successfully survived Hurricane Florence in true Marine style at Camp LeJuene NC.  He and a few other Marines opted to ride out the storm.  Zach reported that the winds where mighty but they escaped much of the flooding.  

Alex Hurst, son of Jamie Hurst and grandson of Jim & Sandy, plays the trumpet in the school band at Columbia Middle School in Columbia IL. Alex enjoys the 5th grade and excels at all subjects but particularly likes math.  (Ask him about the special properties of the number 9.)

Grant Monheiser, son of Shelley Monheiser and grandson of Jim & Sandy, is in the 6th grade at Immaculate Conception School in Columbia IL.  For the third year in a row, Grant is playing defense on the Columbia Blue Jays football team. He's a head taller than everyone else on the field at his age.  Grant is also an accomplished drummer, playing in the Jazz band and in the concert band at his school. His Papa & Mama bought his first real drum set last Christmas.

Mary Stewart Hurst Family

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Notes ‘ News, continued

Martha Stewart DeClue Family

John Stewart Family

Val reports: Phil and I are very happy to have BOTH of our kids living here in Fort Collins, Colorado. Josh moved out here after college in 2001 and Phil and I moved here the summer of 2012, when we retired. Now Jody has accepted a research scientist job here at Colorado State University (CSU) in the Natural Resources Dept. She and Kevin spend a fair amount of time traveling for work (and pleasure)....just getting back from over 2 weeks in France and Italy.

We finally had the whole gang with us for the Telluride Bluegrass festival this summer and enjoyed every minute of camping and music. Speaking of music, Josh is playing music as a solo artist and as a member of several local bands here in town. His “day job” takes him all over the state several weeks out of the month, along with travel for music gigs. He will combine both in a trip to Alaska later this month. Phil still does small carpentry jobs for friends and here at home, and has become interested in repairing instruments. During the school year, I continue to enjoy my part time work of tutoring Nursing students for the local community college.

Jonah Bates, son of Marti and Dave, tested into the Lindbergh school district gifted program, LEAP. He loves the new learning he experiences through this program, as he is in a small tailored classroom setting every Wednesday! His courses of study this semester are Psychology of the Gifted Child and Runes.   Marti Bates changed positions at Edward Jones from the Internal Audit department to a role that explores the systems Edward Jones Financial Advisors use with clients for an optimal experience. The role is heavily dependent on interpersonal relationship skills and business risk/systems understanding so it is a fun challenge for her.   Miriam Bates, daughter of Marti and Dave, continues to hone her musical talents through her weekly singing lessons. She loves singing and performing and will participate in the Lindbergh all-school musical this winter.

Pat Lozier has  just moved to Saxton, Pennsylvania to live with her oldest son Billy and his family. She is enjoying living in the mountains. They are in a very rural section of the countryside. She says she doesn’t drive any more due to health issues but loves to talk on the phone and visit online.

The Stewart Family Bulletin October 2018

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Summer Reunion Retrospect….by Sue Wilke and John Cloud:

Sunny day, the great Bates venue, delicious pot luck, and a chance to visit with dear relatives: just what the doctor ordered. Except in my case, not so much.  Recovering from heart by-pass surgery was sadly my prescription for this Saturday.  The following day, however, I got a wonderful recap of the event from an unexpected source:  Cousin John Cloud, who rarely is able to make these gatherings, flew in for the day with several family members, many who met relations of theirs for the first time. In his email to Sue the Younger and to me, he wrote a beautiful testimony, reflecting on the Stewart family and its significance in all our lives.  Here, with his permission, is part  of what he said:

John Cloud Sr. My family and I had wonderful time yesterday at the Bates’ homestead, thanks for being so gracious encouraging us to come!  Other than simply a great picnic, they all came away having had fascinating conversations with such an amazing family group.  They all said “they are such nice people”, and I couldn’t agree more. For me, getting reacquainted with family members I haven’t seen for ten years was very special (and quite overdue on my part!). 

An observation I can make is that today’s Stewart family, and those fortunate enough to become part of it by marriage or adoption, retains the same class, strength, and charm that it did years ago when our grandparents, aunts, and uncles were all with us.  We were all seriously taken aback by the feelings of acceptance, friendship, and love exemplified by the Stewart clan.  Being the analytical person I am, my thoughts went to “Why is the Stewart family so exceptional?”  I quickly drew my conclusion….the rock solid upbringing by William and Mabel of your Mom, my Mom, and their many siblings made each of them rock solid parents and members of our society.  That upbringing of our parents by William and Mabel carried over to the upbringing you, me and our cousins received turning our generation into another generation of smart, strong, classy people.  And that powerful influence of our Grandparents seems to have carried over to the next generation of nieces, nephews, and grandchildren doing wonderful things with their lives.  An amazing, exceptional, and really wonderful experience to behold and be part of.  If all families were like ours the world would be a far better place.  I think I just might dig out our Grandfather’s book and reread it to gain some clues into his character that, along with our Grandmother, laid the foundation for the Stewart family legacy.

Though often thought of in separate strands and various times by many of us, John clearly captured together so much of what this family means not just to we lucky folks connected by blood, but to many who through the years have reaped the benefits of our upbringing.   John's company employees come  to mind,  as well  as those  who have received care from our many in medical  professions, instruction from us who taught,  and all the other many avenues our ever-growing clan has traveled.  What rings true throughout his comments is a trend that I am sure (and pray it's so!) other families could celebrate--families that are the backbone, the firm foundation upon which this country was built. Add another prayer, then, that we have  within those families someone as articulate as John to remind their crew  of who they are and the message they should be carrying to their descendants.  Puts me in mind of the end of Grandpa's book (in part):  "I want to extend my blessing.  I want them (that's us!) to know that life can be  good ...that the greatest joy comes from service in some capacity to God and to man and that a life lived with this purpose is successful…"

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FAMILY HISTORY

Family Historian, Mary Stewart MacKenzie

John Wesley Stewart and Charles Houston Stewart are siblings of our great-grandfather, Andrew Jackson Stewart

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The family website at (http://stewartporter.com/ ) is available. There will be more content to come but right now you can easily access editions of the Stewart Family Bulletin from May 2014 to present.

For family newsflashes at any time of year, check out the Stewart Family Facebook page. This is a closed group (so we can include more details). If you are not already on board, contact Jessica Lower to be included.

Send any address, email and phone number changes to Sue the Younger, aka Sue Hurst.

Newsletter Editor: Belinda Lower newsletter@stewartporter.com Family Historian: Mary MacKenzie historian@stewartporter.com Webmaster: Sue Hurst webmaster@stewartporter.com