Wanda Faye Stewart

Wanda was the youngest of three children, born on the 26th of December 1933, in Countyline, Oklahoma to Robert Leslie Miears and Lela Emmons Miears. She graduated from Velma-Alma High School in Velma, OK, in 1951 and moved to Williston, North Dakota, where she worked for Amerada Petroleum in the geological department. There she would meet her husband of 62 years, Billy Ray “Bill” Stewart of Rhome, Texas, after a night out on the town. After a brief two months of dating, they married on the 12th of December 1952. A year and a half later they had their only son, Terry Lynn Stewart. Bill, Wanda, and Terry frequently moved throughout the United States due to job transfers and experienced life in an eclectic range of communities, picking up many friends along the way, including Williston, West Texas, Anchorage, Bakersfield, New Orleans, and Houston before eventually settling down in Canyon Lake, Texas. She moved to Houston in the last year of her life to live with her granddaughter, Kelsey, and her family.

In their retirement, Wanda and Bill continued to give back to their church and others, moving to Africa and working in missions with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board in Zimbabwe and Malawi. Wanda enjoyed her career as a bookkeeper and was a talented crafter and storyteller, spending much of her time, and money, creating beautiful scrapbooks for her family. She also enjoyed making jewelry and tried fervently to pass down her creative gene to her granddaughters, to little avail. Although she did manage to pass down her love for chocolate cake, which she considered a breakfast food. Wanda was devoted to her family, friends, and her First Baptist Church of Canyon Lake Church family; they were her life. Nothing made her happier than being surrounded by them, which was never more evident than at her recent 90th birthday party.

Wanda is survived by her loving daughter-in-law, Gail Stewart; her adored granddaughters, Kelsey Stewart Pittman and Jillian Stewart; Kelsey’s husband, Aaron Pittman; her two great-grandchildren, Madison and Bennett Pittman, along with many beloved nieces and nephews and the Woodson family she inherited through her daughter-in-law. Wanda was preceded in death by her husband Bill, son Terry, her parents, her sister Hazel Miears Carter (married to Stanley Carter) and brother L.J. Miears (married to Billie Beck Miears).

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from one o’clock until three o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 3rd of March, in the Parlor and Republic Wine Room of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A graveside service is to be conducted at one o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 4th of March, at Glenwood Cemetery, 2525 Washington Avenue in Houston. A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Friday, the 8th of March, in her hometown of Canyon Lake, Texas at First Baptist Church.

We invite you to take a few moments to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with her family by selecting the “Add a Memory” icon below.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions to Wanda’s memory may be directed to the International Mission Board, Lottie Moon Offering at www.imb.org/generosity