The Legacy of a Generation

This was the eulogy presented at the funeral of Brownley Thornton Stewart on January 8, 2011.  He was the last of eight children of Homer Wilson Stewart and Mary Elisabeth Smith to pass away.

We have come to the end of a generation with the passing of the last living son of Homer and Molly Stewart.  They raised six sons and one daughter right here in this community, in this church, during the depression.

 

Those who knew them would agree that the Stewart brothers epitomized brotherhood, fatherhood, and neighborhood.  The work ethic and values instilled in them by their parents served them well.  They supported and cared for each other, their families, and their neighbors.  They served their country.  They shared everything they had.  They earned the trust and respect of all who knew them.  I believe the community benefited from them living and working here.

The advice and life lessons they gave to their children, and anyone else who would listen, has served us all well in our lives.  The variety of skills they taught us and the motivation to get the best education possible prepared us for life even in the worst of times.  The Stewart family is truly blessed to have such a heritage and role models.  We got to enjoy their collective wisdom and unique personalities; we really had six dads.  While we miss them, we have so many memories and are much the wiser for having them in our lives.

Now the torch has been passed to our generation.  We, as a family, are obligated to preserve the legacy and pass it on; we have big shoes to fill, but they gave us the tools to be successful citizens.  I only hope and pray we can do as good a job as our fathers and grandparents did.  I want to challenge us all to be the best we can be; let’s make them proud of us. 

The Stewart Brothers
(l-r:  Stanley, Wilson, Brownley, Kendall, Ernest, Pearl)

Molly and Homer Stewart

Sipper Stewart

Marshall Store in Williamsport

On January 25, 2014 I was contacted by an old friend, Ron Wilson, who had just discovered my blog.  We had grown up in Williamsport, West Virginia.  Our families had been close; Ron's father and my father had been childhood friends and remained friends until Mr. Wilson's death.   

Ron enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading memories of my family in my blog.  He had a lingering memory of going with his grandfather D.C. Lyon to visit with my grandfather Homer Stewart.  His grandfather had a cane and my grandfather had walking stick, and they were poking at each other with them as they jokingly discussed past and current events.  Ron clearly remembered hearing my grandfather’s loud, unique laugh.  He was probably around five or six at the time.

Over the next six months we exchanged emails with details of our genealogical research. While from the same rural community, we had different perspectives of the people, places, and times that we had in common.  He shared with me some old pictures he had collected from before my time.  He had researched several of the old major farming families.  He pointed me to some research sites that he had contributed to and where I found other information to fill in my family's history.  

There was an old (red) schoolhouse at Williamsport on the Old Fields road. Ron had come across references to its being a schoolhouse as well as being used for church services, but he did not know when it was built or when it was used.  The schoolhouse/church north on Patterson Creek road was built in 1883 and was used as a school until 1935. So he assumed the old (red) schoolhouse was used prior to 1883.  We also discussed the church and school used by the black community (which will be covered in subsequent blog entries).

Lyon Mill in Williamsport

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We discussed the grain mill that was run by his grandfather and the two stores that serviced the community.

Marshall's Store in Williamsport

The Marshall Store was owned and ran by a staunch democrat who was known to strongly voice his opinions which sometimes determined which of the two stores folks would “hang out” at.  The store closed in the mid 1950s.  Ron sent me a picture of the interior of the store.  When I studied the picture of the patrons, to my surprise, I recognized my grandfather!  

Patrons at Marshall's Store in the 1920s

But there he was ...  
... a young Homer Stewart !!!

Ron had thought my grandfather was in the picture, but did not presume it was him until I got back to him with my discovery.  We continued to share stories and photographs for a several months.

Ron was planning to return to the Williamsport area in November.  He wanted to do some more research.  But I didn't hear from him between August and November.

When I visited Williamsport during the Christmas holidays, my sister told me of Ron's passing in September.  I was deeply saddened by the loss of an old friend, but moved that he had reached out to me earlier in the year to share such precious memories.  I had no idea how timely or valuable our renewed connection had been.





Note:  Mr. Robert Wilson was a life-long friend of my father.  The Wilsons and my parents remained friends, visiting regularly over the years.  It was the Wilsons who drove me to Poughkeepsie, NY on July 6, 1974.  They were going to spend their anniversary in the Poconos and offered to help me move my few belongings to my new apartment.  I started my first real job at IBM on July 8, 1974.

Homer Meets Mary

Homer Wilson Stewart 03/02/1871 - 12/18/1953 (82)

Father:  Fortune Stewart ~1808 - 08/01/1888 (80)

Mother:  Rebecca Payne 11/1838 - 07/04/1910 (85?)

Homer started as a farm laborer in rural Grant County West Vriginia.  He later became a tenant farmer, providing a home and loaned farm for his family.  He was known for his work ethic and his hardy laugh.

Mary Elizabeth Smith 10/13/1877 - 06/11/1950 (73)

Father:  unknown (possibly Solomon Peterson)

Mother:  Celia Smith 04/23/1853 - 06/06/1903 (50)

Mary was a housekeeper and an excellent cook.  It was while she was working in the home of Daniel and Margaret Belle Babb that she met Homer Stewart.

Homer W Stewart and Mary E Smith were married on 04/12/1909 by Rev. J. T. Reed in Hardy County West Virginia.  Homer and Mary had eight children:

Wilson Alfred Stewart (10/07/1909 - 12/14/1992) farmer (sheep breeder); avid reader

Charles Edward Stewart (12/03/1910 - 12/03/1910 perished in delivery)

Pearl Daniel Stewart (12/11/1911 - 11/10/1999) coal miner; quilting was his hobby

Homer Ernest Stewart (09/04/1913 - 12/1984) grocer; avid hunter

Kendall Smith Stewart (08/18/1915 - 12/31/1979) (US Army WWII) local store, farmer

Brownley Thornton Stewart (04/07/1917 - 01/06/2011) (US Army WWII) carpenter/general contractor

Stanley William Stewart (05/13/1919 - 12/23/2003) (TEC 5 US Army WWII) logger, construction, farmer (horses); hunter, motorcyclist

Mary Elizabeth Payne "Sipper" Stewart (08/23/1921 - 12/30/1937...only 16 years old) 

The family experienced the tragic loss of the youngest child Sipper in 1937.  As you can imagine being the youngest and only girl she was very loved and spoiled by the rest of the family.  At the tender age of sixteen she died of lung cancer.  No one seems to know how that could happen, but it was detected late and progressed quickly.

Then the family was called upon to address yet another challenge.  Three of the sons served in World War II.  Kendall served in Australia, Brownley went to England, and Stanley was sent to the Philippines. There was no other family in the county who made such a sacrifice; even the other families noted the significant contribution.  All three returned home not too much for wear:  Kendall had suffered from malaria, Brownley had broken his leg, and Stanley was an escaped prisoner of war.