Naomi May Steward

Naomi May (Glover) Steward was born on March 11, 1926 in Marion, Oregon, to Evert Glover and Bernice Doerfler. She was born in her grandfather's house. She joined sisters, Lucile, 1918, and Maxine, 1920. Her mother took her to church every Sunday. "Jesus Loves Me" was a favorite song and she would sing it while her mother ironed clothes.

Her mother died January 1931 when Naomi was four years old. Family friends offered to adopt her, but the family wanted to stay together. September 4, 1933, a fire started from the kitchen stove and the house burned to the ground. They lost everything except for some cash her father kept between two plates. After staying with relatives for a while, the family moved to Woodland, WA, where her father had a dairy farm for 22 years. As a young girl she enjoyed playing the piano. "My chores were feed the chickens and rabbits, bring in wood and put it in the wood box. We had a wood stove to cook on and a wood heater." She liked to play with the animals.

"I will never forget the Christmas of 1933. Our family was living in Woodland, Washington. My Dad had a dairy farm on the bottom land. We had dikes all around the bottom land. The Ariel Dam broke and flooded all of Woodland and there was danger the dike would break to the bottom land. We had a housekeeper at that time. Lucile was 15, Maxine was 13 and I was 7. My Dad had a friend that took the housekeeper, Maxine and me and rowed us across the Columbia River to catch a train to Portland. Lucile stayed behind to help with the cattle. Maxine and I went to stay with friends. We spent Christmas with them. I received a coloring book and crayons. I was so pleased with my gift. It seemed like Maxine received a box of candy which she was happy to get. The coloring book is something I will always remember, it was very special. The Dennis family was very good to us and made us feel at home."

In 1935, Evert married Hattie Day and in 1940 younger brother Phil joined the family.

In 1941 when she was 16, she moved to Dallas, Oregon, to live with her sister, Lucile, and to help care for Lucile's two daughters, Naomi Lee and Bernice. It was in Dallas that she became acquainted with Ernest “Ernie” Steward, Jr, in chemistry class. Lucile worked at a Cafe in Dallas. Ernie came in to the Cafe each night to clean the floors. Lucile saved a plate of dinner each night for Ernie and his brother Doug. Lucile invited Ernie to her home so she could introduce him to her sister Naomi.

Ernie joined the Marines in February 1942. While on a 14-month tour of duty in the Marshall Islands, they wrote each other. He wanted to marry her but she wasn't so sure. On Thanksgiving Day, November 23, 1944, after Ernie's return, they were married in her father's house in Woodland. While in the service, they lived for a while in Santa Ana, CA.

"When we were first married he called me 'Kitten'. Ernie liked to fish and hunt and we camped a lot in a tent for many years with the family. Three Creeks Lake was our favorite camp spot. He was a good provider, always on time and hardly ever took a day off except for vacations. He went to work many times not feeling good, a cold or flu, etc."

Ernie went to Multnomah College in Portland Oregon for two years. He took electrical engineering. He never wanted me to work away from home, so I wasn't helping with expenses, so he quit college and went to work for the Oregon Steel Mill in 1948 thinking he would work 6 months then go back to college and finish. He stayed 36 years and worked his way up the ladder until he had a good paying job. He retired in 1984. "Marriage isn't always easy but things can be worked out."

Their first child, Kathie, was born on June 6, 1947, daughter Sharon on July 28, 1949, son Gregory (Greg) on May 23, 1956.

In 1957, her father died, when her brother Phil was only 17 years old. That same year, the family moved to a house in between Aloha and Beaverton where she lived until her move to Hearthstone at Murrayhill in January 2006.

"I was a home maker. I tried to be a good Mom and wife. I made a lot of the girls’ clothes and lots of doll clothes. I used a treadle machine for a number of years. We had bought it second hand for $15.00. One leg was broken so a block of wood kept it level. We bought it before Kathleen was born, a lot of baby clothes were made. In the summer when there were lots of fruits and vegetables I canned food for winter; pickles, jam and jelly too. The cookie jar was usually full. Greg was born 7 years after Sharon. I made him long pants with a bib when he was small. When he grew up I made shirts for him and his Dad too. They both needed long shirts with longer arms. I enjoyed working in the flowers and helped Ernie with the garden. I loved crafts. I embroidered a lot and also crocheted a lot. It wasn't hard to find something to do but I loved it."

She continued regular church attendance in her adult life often going to the church that was closest. She was baptized at Aloha Community Church around 1960. She began attending Beaverton Christian Church in 1971 and was the Neon Class Sunday School secretary for over 30 years. She continued to attend Beaverton Christian Church until her Alzheimer's made it impractical. She then began attended the church services conducted at Hearthstone.

Naomi served in many volunteer positions. She was a Blue Bird leader & Camp Fire leader for Sharon and Kathie and a Cub Scout Den Mother while Greg was in Scouts. She was a room mother at school, bringing cupcakes and refreshments for special occasions.

On election days, she was a familiar face to voters, volunteering at the voting precinct from 1958 until Oregon changed to vote-by-mail.

She bowled on a league for 50 years and in later years took up walking.

After Ernie's death in 1995, she became a regular visitor to shut-ins, volunteered with "Meals on Wheels" at Elsie Sturh Center, and joined the Beaverton Christian Church "Prime Time Choir." She did periodic traveling, going on group tours with church friends, including a trip the Holy Land and Europe. She continued to garden, spend time with friends and neighbors, and have the grandkids over. She enjoyed this new phase of her life.

It was a bit of an adjustment, but she did adapt well when she downsized to begin a new phase of life at Hearthstone at Murrayhill in January 2006. In the fall of 2011 she moved in to Anna’s Place, the memory care section at Hearthstone. The family cannot say enough about the care Naomi received there.

On January 27, 2015, Naomi had an “event” that precipitated the end. As she continued through her final thirteen days, her frame became pretty feeble. On Friday, most of the family was present, thinking her end was near. Able to do little more than breathe and pump blood, she stayed with us until Sunday, February 8. During that time, rarely did she open her eyes. Shortly before 6:00 PM, already barely breathing, the breaths grew more and more thin; you could see what little life there was draining out of her face. Her three children and spouses were around her encouraging her to let go.

THEN her face seemed to come alive: her eyes opened wide, gazing off into the distance; twice her mouth spread into a joyous smile; and for a brief instant, she lifted her head slightly off the pillow as if straining to leave. And then she was gone from her physical body. It was almost as if she was seeing someone who was calling her on. We have no doubt that she was. It was the most incredible thing we have ever seen.

Naomi is preceded in death by her husband, Ernie (1995), and sister, Lucile (1993).

She is survived by sister, Maxine Clover, brother, Phil Glover; daughters Kathie (Paul Dalton, grandchildren Jenni, Bart, Jodie), Sharon (Ken Klump, grandchildren Sandy, Christy), and Greg (Kathy Wilson, grandchildren Kristin, Dylan, Sophie, Carly), eight great-grandchildren (Brandon, Alyssa, Hailey, Kyle, Ashley, Tyler, Lyndsey, Connor), one great-great-grandchild (Gavin)

A memorial service will be held on

Sunday, February 22, at 2:00 PM

Beaverton Christian Church

13600 SW Allen Blvd

Beaverton OR 97005

For more about Naomi Steward's life and memories of her, see https://docs.google.com/document/d/16kPaRUJyhE_OYBET9C-3ul7rD8UuWfFiQn0_Qwlb49U/edit?usp=sharing

In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift in memoriam to one of the following two charitable organizations:

Beaverton Christian Church Missions Fund

13600 SW Allen Blvd

Beaverton OR 97005

Make check payable to Beaverton Christian Church and put “Naomi Steward” on the memo line.

Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

http://www.alzfdn.org/ContributetoAFA/makeadonation.html

Memoriam notices can be sent to Greg Steward, 6645 SW Pinecrest Ct, Beaverton, OR 97008. You can also contact Greg at http://gls.elpidzo.com/greg-steward/contact/