Maxine Stewart

On Tuesday, March 23, 2021, Ellen Maxine Welch Stewart loving mother and friend went to be with the Lord in Chickasha, OK at the age of 93 years 9 months.

Maxine was born in Pauls Valley, OK to Rufus Andrew Welch and Blanche Welch on June 25, 1927.  Her family moved to Chickasha when she was 2 years old.  She only had one sister, Clara L. (Jerb) DeArmond .   She attended the Chickasha schools except one year when the family moved in to La Habra, CA until returning to Chickasha.

She met Leonard Stewart in 1942 on a blind date the summer before her senior year after his war service was completed June 1945. Leonard went back into the Air Force in 1946 and they lived in several places including Oklahoma City; San Bernadino, CA; Biloxi, Mississippi; El Mott, TX; Dreux, France and Sumter, S.C. living each place 3 years.  While in France the family got to visit Omaha Beach American Cemetery, Paris, the Seine River, Eiffel Tower, cathedrals and the tourist sites.   They even got to go to the movie premier festivities for the movie Longest Day starring John Wayne in Paris.

Since she didn't get to graduate with her class, in  the 1968-69 school  year, she returned to Chickasha High School Adult Education and received her Chickasha High School diploma and got her picture in the paper for her accomplishment.

Maxine and Leonard were married 53 years and  had 4 children; Judith Ann Stewart Watts; Patricia Raelene Stewart (Mills); Jimmy Lyle Stewart and Danny Lee Stewart.  They had 17 grandchildren and 34 great grandchildren.   Her family was her life and she and Leonard helped raise all the grandchildren at some point and time.  They just loved supporting   all the kids and grandkids activities!  The kids were cheerleaders, played basketball, football, baseball/ softball, track, tumbling gymnasts and coached.  Wherever the game or event was, Grandpa and Grandma would try to go and cheer them on.  She had a great sense of humor and would get so tickled and laugh so hard sometimes she'd cry.

In 1966 when Leonard retired from the military the family moved back to their hometown in Alex, OK.  She moved to Chickasha, OK assisted living in 2015.

Maxine loved going to Church and was a member of the Alex Main Street Church of Christ and  her husband Leonard was an Elder.  Church responsibilities and activities  were a joy and kept them busy visiting other churches, and visiting with the members that were sick or home bound.   They never missed a service unless they were ill.

She went to water aerobics at the college in Chickasha for years and made several special friends there.   She loved shopping and would wear you out at the Mall!  She really enjoyed traveling and took several trips with friends; her daughter Judy or son Dan and his girls.  If you mentioned a trip and asked her to go, she was always ready!   She enjoyed meeting friends for lunch and going to the grandchildren's various sporting events and just enjoyed life in general.

Maxine was preceded in death by her husband Leonard, her sister Clara DeArmond and her parents Rufus and Blanche Welch and grandchildren:  Cody Alexander, Connor Frieling, Shandy Stewart and Lacey Stewart.  She is survived by her children, Judy and husband Mike Sr., Raelene, Jim and wife Donna; Dan and wife Candy; her nephews Harold Ray (Sonny) DeArmond; Sterling Lynn DeArmond and his son Tommy; 13 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at the Alex Main Street Church of Christ in Alex, OK at 1 p.m. on Sat. March 27, 2021. Interment will follow at Alex Cemetery under the direction of Sevier Funeral Home, Chickasha, OK.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Shanoan Springs Nursing and Rehabilitation for their loving care the last few years.  There are so many, but special thanks to Dr. Stephens, Lynette, Janette, Stephanie, Abigail, Maria, all the LPN's, and CMA's  and the nurses at Kindful Hospice. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to St. Jude's Children's Research Center in Memphis, TN or the Berean Children's Home in Bogue Chitto, MS.

It is requested that mask be worn.

The family would like to invite all who are able to stay back to the the church at 2:30 p.m. for a meal and a time to fellowship with the family.