116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
Shirley Mae Stewart
SHIRLEY MAE STEWART
Cedar Rapids
Shirley Mae Stewart, 79, passed away Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, at peace in her home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Lester and Alice Lorenz, of Reinbeck, Iowa; her husband, Leland Stewart; and her daughter, Kelly Stewart. Surviving her in life are her brother, Gayle (Pat) Lorenz, of Cedar Falls, Iowa; a brother-in-law, James (Lou Anne) Stewart, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; her five sons, Brian (Valle) Stewart, of Bend, Ore.; Grant (Kelly) Stewart, of Los Alamos, N.M.; David (Jo Ann) Stewart, of Windsor, Colo.; Mark (Catherine) Stewart, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Scott Stewart, of Arvada, Colo,; her seven grandchildren Zac, Ben, Claire, Jack, Jacob, Morgan and Mason Stewart.
Shirley grew up on family farms in Grundy County Iowa, went to Reinbeck High School, Coe College, and later in life received her MPA degree from Iowa State University. After starting her career as a teacher in Cedar Rapids, she took a position with Family Services Agency in Cedar Rapids, and then moved on to the corporate offices of Family Services of America then in Milwaukee. She finished her career as president and CEO for Bethany for Children & Families in Davenport. She always was active in her community, holding leadership roles in the local chapter of American Association of University Women, her college sorority, Chi Omega; and the Washington High School Boosters Club. After her husband departed in 1978, she raised five boys as a single mother, finished a graduate degree, and helped countless families and people in need through her career in family services.
Services will be held at the Chapel of Memories, Cedar Memorial in Cedar Rapids. Visitation begins at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11. Burial will be in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
If you would like to honor Shirley M. Stewart, please make a donation to Bethany– For Children and Families, 1830 Sixth Ave., Moline, Ill., or online at www.bethany-qc.networkforgood.com.
Online condolences may be left at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters