Obituary of Marion B. Stewart

HUDSON-Marion B. Stewart went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, August 1, 2013.  She was 98 years old, full of years, and satisfied with life.  Born in Euclid, OH, February 28, 1915, her great-grandparents on both sides were early settlers in Cleveland.  The Jenks family was from Wales and Massachusetts, owning farms in Gates Mills.  The Brewer family emigrated from England to Euclid in the early 1800’s.  Marion was the eldest daughter of Nelson J. Brewer, former Probate Judge and Mildred Jenks Brewer.  She attended Denison University and graduated with a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin where she met her future husband, Richard H. Stewart.  She attended business college in Cleveland and worked two years as a secretary in Central National Bank and the Jones, Day law firm.  They were married in 1938 and moved from South Euclid to Shaker Heights in 1947 where she was president of two PTA’s and board member of the Shaker League of Women Voters, of the Metropolitan YWCA, Big Brothers, United Youth Advisory Services and Cleveland College Women’s Association. After their three sons were grown, Mrs. Stewart received the master’s degree in social administration from Case Western Reserve’s School of Applied Social Sciences (now Mandel School) and worked for the Federation of Community Planning as a planning associate.  In the 70’s she became involved in Christian ministries, missionary society activity, and home Bible studies as well as volunteering at University Hospitals (Richard H. Stewart was president) and a local pro-life crisis pregnancy center. With her husband she traveled to Europe, England, Scotland, the Mideast, the Bahamas and Mexico, as well as visiting missionaries in four Caribbean countries.  In 1993 the Stewarts moved to Laurel Lake Retirement Community in Hudson.  After sixty-four years of marriage, Richard Stewart passed away in 2002. She is survived by her two sisters, Mabel Meibuhr of Mentor and Grace Wilcox of Lyndhurst, eleven nieces and nephews, three sons: Dr. James B. Stewart, St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Richard N. Stewart, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Rev. Henry A. Stewart of Waukesha, Wisconsin.  There are seven grandchildren: Rebecca Stewart Holm, Jennifer Stewart, Thomas Stewart, Dr. Joshua Stewart, Amy Stewart Kaiser, Jessica Stewart Hanson, and Rev. Benjamin Stewart.  There are nineteen great-grandsons and three great-granddaughters. There will be a Memorial Service commemorating her life at Laurel Lake Retirement Community, 200 Laurel Lake Drive, Hudson, on August 15th, at 10:00 AM in the Chapel with a reception to follow.  There will be a committal service at Knollwood Cemetery, 1678 Som Center Road, Mayfield Hts, OH 44124, August 15th at 1:00 PM to which friends of the family are welcome.  In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Barnabas International, a 501c3.  Checks should be drawn to Barnabas International with the notation, ELIM Retreat Ministries, P.O. Box 11211, Rockford, IL 61126