Cecelia Lorraine Wolkow

At a baseball game she attended during her senior year at Shelton High, she met Robert L. Stewart (Bob). They were married on April 26, 1942. Her oldest son, Ron, was born in 1943, followed by Lynne (daughter) in 1946.

In 1947, Cecelia and Bob moved their young family to Palmer, Alaska. In 1948, they moved to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, and Charles (son) was born in 1949. Living on this small island—populated by a small residual naval base and only one civilian family—was a challenging and at times a lonely place for Cecelia while caring for 3 young children.

In 1954, the family moved back to Washington; then to Beaverton, Oregon in 1955; and in 1960 to Gresham, Oregon, where she and Bob began their ministry at the Powell Valley Church of God—later to become the Lynchwood Church of God. Together Cecelia and Bob nurtured the church to grow. Cecelia actively participated in the church in her role as a pastor’s wife and a choir member. During this time she also worked as a secretary for two State Farm agents in Portland.

In the early 1970s, they moved to Boring, Oregon, where they pastored a small community church—later known as Cascade View Community Church—for 4 years and then remained in attendance until the 1980s.

During her years of service, being a mother and wife, and working outside of the home, Cecelia gained the reputation of being an excellent cook. Her dinners were enjoyed by family members, people in her church community, and students from Warner Pacific College who would come home for a meal with Ron or Charles at times.

Everywhere she lived, Cecelia created wonderful flower and vegetable gardens. She thoroughly loved each dog and cat that became a part of the family and enjoyed the amusing squirrels and birds that came to feed nearby.

Cecelia lived alone for several years after her divorce with Bob in 1987. She sold her home in Boring and had her son Charles build a new home for her in Gresham. To support herself, she went back to work—this time as a secretary at the Franciscan Montessori Earth School in SE Portland where her son, Ron, was a teacher/guide.

She also returned to Lynchwood to worship. While there, she got reacquainted with Hugh Wolkow and after a short courtship, they married on November 23, 1996. Those were happy years for Cecelia, doing what she enjoyed, and being with people she loved and who loved her! Sadly, on September 10, 2005, Hugh passed away.

In January 2006, Cecelia had a severe stroke which left her wheelchair bound for the rest of her life. As a result, she was forced to sell her home and moved into Powell Valley Assisted Living (PVL) in Gresham where she lived for over 18 years. She was assisted by PVL staff, family members who lived nearby, and later on by Hospice.

Her kind, caring, and resilient character was noticed. She was fond of watching the little birds in the tree outside her window, taking car rides along the Columbia River Gorge, and going out for Chinese food. She enjoyed classical music, game shows (Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy), playing Scrabble, working puzzles, reading novels and short stories, and eating meals with her tablemates (especially Laurel).

As her days came to an end, she received phone calls and visits from family members, her pastors, and PVL and Hospice staff.

On December 30, 2024, a sweet lady was accepted into the loving and caring arms of Jesus.

She was preceded in death by husbands: Hugh Wolkow and Robert Stewart; brothers: Don and Norris Everson; son: Ron Stewart; and survived by brother: Lindy Everson; daughter: Lynne Mintun; son: Charles Stewart; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, and a great-great, great-grandchild. A “Celebration of Life” was held for Cecelia at the Lynchwood Church of God on January 9, 2025.