Mary Frances Stewart

Mary Frances Stinson Stewart was born October 16, 1929 in Little Rock, Arkansas. She was the only girl with an older brother, HB and a little brother, Johnny, who was born when she was 16. Since she was a little girl she was always drawn to poetry (and words in general) and memorized many of her favorite lines. As a child she loved her Mother, Daddy, brothers, swimming, friends, babies and having fun.

After graduating from Little Rock High School she spent a semester at the University of Missouri where her life was changed when her college roommate’s dad told her the plan of salvation and Jesus became her life. She quickly saw she would rather be at a Christian College, so she and her roommate transferred to Oklahoma Baptist University where she spied a cute boy in Trigonometry class. At the prompting of her roommate; she asked him if she could share his book. She married him on December 28, 1949 and became Mrs. George Martin Stewart, Jr.

To Mary’s delight her first daughter Annie was born October 17, 1950 just one day after her 21st birthday. Annie was shortly followed by Debbi and then Cathie. Mary’s dearly loved mother-in-law, Jewell Stewart, moved “down the field” from Mary to help her with her 3 little girls. Five years later her only son Jim came along, followed by baby Marilyn.

Mary adored gardening; singing as she dug, planted and weeded to create a beautiful yard that looked as pretty as a park. She was an amazing seamstress making beautiful clothes for her children and even matching square dancing outfits for George and herself. She worked part time as a comptometer operator every tax season at H & R Block. Her fingers would fly over her big comptometer which was a huge key-driven mechanical calculator. Later she worked as a medical transcriptionist, but being a mom and home maker was always Mary’s favorite things in life. She was George and each of her 5 children’s biggest fan.

She was the very definition of generous and loved to help others, often saying, “You can’t out give God”. Mary loved people; one of her greatest joys was to entertain, opening her home to host parties, games and Bible studies. She was fun, funny and loved to laugh and joke and even go line dancing.

Mary loved God passionately and believed that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, we know that she was welcomed into Heaven with the words from her Lord, “well done my good and faithful servant, enter into your reward”. To all who love Mary and have asked Jesus to be the Lord of their life, this is not goodbye, but “until we meet again”.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, George M. Stewart, Jr., her daddy, Herman B Stinson, mother, Eva Burke Stinson, brother, HB Stinson, brother, John Burke Stinson, her mother-in-law, Jewell Taylor Stewart, her Granddaughter, Brooke Stewart, her son-in-law, Mike Simpson, and great-grandson, Justin Simpson.

Survivors include her daughters Annie Cook, Debbi Stapleton, Cathie Grimes and Marilyn Schaedel and one son, Jim Stewart; her sons-in-law Bob Cook, Ray Stapleton, Mike Grimes and Kevin Schaedel and future daughter-in-law Amber; as well as 13 Grandchildren; 25 Great-Grandchildren.

Funeral service will be held from 9-10 AM, followed by a visitation at 10 AM, with graveside at 11 AM, on Friday, October 16, at Floral Hills Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64133.