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Submitted: 12/4/23 • Approved: 12/5/23 • Last Updated: 12/8/23 • R834315-G834315-S3
August 8, 1928 - March 20, 2017
*Obituary
Springfield News-Leader
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Joyce Hope Gillette Stewart
Joyce was born August 8, 1928, in Bakersfield, MO, to Lester O. Gillette and Lillie Anderson Gillette, She passed away March 20, 2017, in Springfield, MO, at the age of 88.
Joyce graduated from Ava High School and began teaching in a one room schoolhouse in Lutie, MO, for one year. For the next two years, she rode her horse to teach in the one room schoolhouse located at Toledo, north of Thornfield, MO.
On March 16, 1946, Joyce married Ivan Jay Stewart in Mountain Home, AR, and moved to Washington State where their first son, Darrell Keith Stewart was born. Jay worked in logging along the White Salmon River. After surviving a couple of harsh mountain winters, Jay and Joyce moved to western Kansas where she resumed teaching.
A road construction company approached Jay, and they relocated to Wetmore, CO, and in 1956, their second son, Gary Kent Stewart was born in Pueblo, CO. Prior to this, in 1952, they bought their first farm in Weaubleau, MO. In the winter of 1956, they moved to Weaubleau, fulfilling a dream of owning land and farming.
Over the next forty years they acquired additional farm land, and Joyce completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Southwest Missouri State College during the summer months. Her nickname at the time was "Speedy Stewart," as those who commuted with her would attest to even today - they were never late for class!
Joyce completed her Master's Degree in Education from Drury University. Her last six credit hours were obtained while studying abroad in Durham, England. On three-day weekends, she and Jay saw a vast part of Europe and especially enjoyed meeting farmers from the various countries they visited. This was a very special time in their lives.
When Joyce retired in 1990 from the Weaubleau School System as Elementary Principal, she had been an educator for 42 years. The majority of her teaching career was spent in the second grade classroom, where she instilled in her students the love of reading and taught them to write in cursive.
Upon retirement, Joyce and Jay maintained their zest for travel, camping and fishing in Alaska, exploring parts of Mexico near Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco as well as becoming snow birds in Arizona. The warmer and drier winter climate in Arizona was a god send to Jay's health, and Joyce learned to ride a bike, enjoyed water aerobics, and went to the moll everyday if she wanted! They enjoyed their home in Mesa, AZ, for 13 years before Jay was unable to travel back and forth due to his declining health and death in 2005. Joyce continued to be a snow bird until the spring of 2015. While in Mesa, she and her miniature Schnauzer, Frisco, enjoyed riding the golf cart to the doggy run, going to the club house for exercise, drinking coffee and eating cookies, checking the mail, and playing cards and socializing with the neighbors.
The legacy of Stewart Farms, begun in 1952, will continue through sons Darrell and Gary, and grandson, Leslie Stewart and his family. Wonderful examples and lessons were provided by Joyce and Jay to their family, whether that was being a member of a team, bottle feeding 100 Holstein heifer calves twice a day, instilling the importance of education and lifelong learning, or making time to gather with family to make special memories. Her work ethic, belief in God, and ability to be humble among her peers will be greatly missed.
Special thanks to all who were care givers and friends to Joyce in her final days, your hugs were very special; Cindy Massey, Lynette Calhoun, Seasons Hospice staff, Jerry Spradling, and friends of Gary and John Shepherd. Your acts of kindness will never be forgotten.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Gerald Dale Gillette, his wife Ida; husband, Ivan Jay Stewart; and twin granddaughters, Lenora Jean and Lora Ann Stewart.
Visitation is scheduled for Monday, March 27, 1:00 p.m. at Hathaway-Peterman Funeral Home, Wheatland, MO, with a service following at 2:00 p.m. by Reverend Robert Hubbard; burial to follow in the Robinson Cemetery, Weaubleau, MO.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Weaubleau First Baptist Church, Weaubleau, MO, 65774; the Wilda F. Looney Residence Life Leadership Scholarship; or the Residence Life and Services Custodial Staff Scholarship. Those contributions can be mailed to the Missouri State Foundation, 300 South Jefferson, Suite 100, Springfield, MO 65806.
Contributed on 12/4/23 by judyfrog
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Record #: 834315