Doris Johnson Stewart

Doris J. Stewart, age 89, passed away on December 10, 2023 at Trinity Springs Retirement Facility where she resided in the memory care wing. She had dementia and recently had falls resulting in fractures to her spine and pelvis which led to her death.

Doris grew up in Erwin, NC with seven brothers and one sister. At the age of 18 she married Arthur Surerus of Detroit, MI who was stationed in the US Army at Fort Bragg, NC. After his tour of duty was over, they moved to Michigan where they raised 3 daughters and a son. She was a wonderful mother and loved raising her children. She eventually sought out a career and worked as a stenographer with Penn Central Railroad. She worked her way up to administrative assistant, but retired earlier than she had anticipated due to health concerns of her second husband, Hunter Proffitt. They moved to Bluffton, SC where they lived until he died in 2003. She returned to her hometown of Erwin, NC and married Thomas Stewart. She was widowed in 2018 and returned to Bluffton to live near daughter Kimberly. After her dementia diagnosis, she relocated to Florida to live near daughter Susan.

Doris loved to travel and accompanied her daughter Susan on trips to Germany, Hawaii, Mexico, China, and a Baltic Sea cruise with port stops in Russia, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland. She traveled with Susan to England in 2000, and again in 2015 with Susan and Patti. She enjoyed watching sports with son Michael. Doris was a Past Matron of the order of the Eastern Star and enjoyed traveling to various chapters with her daughter Kimberly.

Always a woman of faith, she served on the church council of the Rockwood, MI Congregational Church. With each subsequent move, she attended and was active at the First Baptist Church of Wyandotte, MI, the United Methodist Church of Bluffton, SC and the Pleasant Grove OFWB Church of Erwin, NC.

Doris was pre-deceased by her parents Willie Waylon and Hazel Johnson and by her siblings Waylon (JR) Johnson Jr., David (DB) Johnson, Sherrill (Ace) Johnson and Linda (Sissy) Duquette.

Doris is survived by her brothers Carl (Peggy) Johnson of Bothell, WA, Paul (Cara) Johnson of Erwin, NC, Bobby (Vickie) Johnson of Coats, NC and Larry (Diann) Johnson of Roseboro, NC. and her children Susan (Frank) Housholder of The Villages, FL, MIchael (Sandra) Surerus Sr. of Lexington, SC, Patricia Cotton of St. Johns, FL and Kimberly (Robert) Jettie of Bluffton, SC. She has 9 grandchildren–Michael (Aneta) Surerus Jr, Kristin (Justin) Swogger, Stephanie (Darren) Thomas, Holly (Frank) Zuziak, Joseph (Lisa) Baker, April (Randy) Westberry, Joshua (Christina) Jettie, Daniel (Krista) Jettie and Amber (Stewart) Brazell. She has 14 great grandchildren Adam, Jenna and Ashley Thomas, Audrey and Benjamin Zuziak, Ava Barefoot, Caleb Westberry, Liam Belton, Nina Cressey, Savannah, Payton and Addalynn Baker, and Winter and Wallace Jettie. She also has countless nephews and nieces that she adored.

The family will receive friends Thursday, December 14, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Cromartie-Miller Funeral Home.

A celebration of life service will be on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 11: 00 a.m. at Pleasant Grove Original Free Will Baptist Church.

Burial will immediately follow the service at Erwin Memorial Cemetery.

Share a condolence, or memory at www.cromartiemiler.com.

Services entrusted to Cromartie-Miller Funeral Home, of Dunn, NC.