Martha Jane Stewart

MARTHA JANE WATSON STEWART

Martha Jane Watson Stewart, 100, of Denton, Texas, passed peacefully, January 7, 2021, at her residence, with her daughter, Kathy Stewart, at her side.

She was born to Floyd and Viola Watson on June 26, 1920, in Lewisville, Texas and was educated in Lewisville Public Schools, graduating from Lewisville High School in 1938.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 66 years, Reveau Sprintz Stewart; parents, Floyd and Viola Grissom Watson; sisters, Wilma Watson Hughes, Frances Elaine Watson, Katherine Watson Denison, Jean Watson Denison; brother J. T. Watson and Son-in-law, Richard Habern.

She is survived by her children: Carolyn Morley (Max) of Denton; Eileen Morse (Dennis) of Denton; Mary Allums (John) of Galveston; Debi Habern of Denton; Kathy Stewart of Denton; Reveau (Bo) Stewart, Jr. (Carolyn) of Winnsboro; and Harold (Hal) Stewart (Adriana) of Lantana.

Grandchildren: Paul Morley (Beth) of Corinth; David Morley (Beth) of San Antonio; Eric (Beth) Morse of Denton; Amy Salinas (Sal) of Kemah; Laura Thompson (Scot) of Navasota; Sarah Blackmon (Micheal) of Keller; Emily Rozell (Clay) of Sanger; John Habern (Connie) of Denton; Matt Habern (Nicole) of Denton; Ben Habern (Morgan) of Irving; Alexandra Kelly (Liam) of Denton and Elisabeth Stewart of Grapevine.

Great grandchildren: Emma, Maggie, and Katie Morley; Lucy, Max and Harper Morley; Nathan and Samantha Morse; Ashley and Audrey Salinas; Justin Blackmon; Reveau, Calvin, Hannah and Hazel Rozell; Vance and Vivian Habern; Hudson Habern.

Jane was a charter member of Lewisville Bible Church for thirty years. In 1956 as the church was being built, Reveau and Jane offered their home at 614 North Charles Street for the small congregation to meet temporarily. After retiring to East Texas in 1981, they became members of Lake Country Bible Church in Mineola, Texas where they helped build and remodel the church and Jane served as a Sunday School teacher for many years.

First and foremost, Jane was a dedicated wife and mother. She treasured her husband and her seven children, serving her family as a homemaker all her married life. She was an excellent cook and regularly served at least two hot meals a day for anyone who showed up at her table. Her coconut cream pies were pure deliciousness.

As a teenager, she loved music and sang in a trio with her twin sister, Jean Watson, and their cousin Helen Watson. They performed frequently on a radio talent show and at local community and church functions in Lewisville. Along with the popular tunes of the day, she enjoyed singing hymns and loved the doctrine found in their verses.

Having lived for a century, she witnessed incredible changes. She told many interesting stories, one of which included the time her aunt drove her and her twin sister to the train depot in Denton so they could wave at President Franklin D. Roosevelt as his campaign train came through Denton County. An enthusiastic crossword puzzle worker, she was always curious about new words often asking for definitions of words or phrases such as “hashtag,” “Twitter,” “tweet,” and “woke.” An avid reader—mostly of the Bible but also of history (Bonhoeffer and McCauley) and other genres, she once tried to read Voltaire but only briefly, as she decided she didn’t agree with him!

Jane loved attending church and studying her Bible, church history, theology and doctrine. She cherished missions and was a faithful prayer warrior, a habit she continued until God called her home. She prayed nightly for all 53 members of her family, using her handwritten prayer book as a prompt!

She was affectionately known as “Aunt Jane” to a host of nieces and nephews and as

Mom Stewart/Grandma Jane/Mammie to 30 grand and great-grandchildren. She loved football, band and music and often watched her children and later her grandchildren on the playing fields and concert venues. At church, she was known as “the M&M lady” for the treats she handed out. She had a great sense of humor, always ready with a funny story, many of which involved her own faux pas! With her adventuresome spirit, she was usually up for anything and everything, including at age 85, the flying swing, 20 feet in the air, at the State Fair of Texas! She was a devoted fan of the Dallas Cowboys and the OU Sooners!

She leaves a legacy of love, kindness, self-sacrifice, patience, and a deep faith throughout her life that reflected Jesus Christ to her family and all with whom she came in contact. “Her children arise and call her blessed… Proverbs 31:28.”

A private graveside burial service was held January 11, 2021, at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Mineola, TX. She was laid to rest beside her husband and her twin sister.

Please join us in celebrating her life at a Memorial Service on April 30, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel at Denton Bible Church, 2300 E. University Dr. Denton, TX 76209 OR in East Texas on May 1, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at Lake Country Bible Church, 1402 N. Pacific Ave., Mineola, TX 75773.

The family requests remembrances be made to: Good Samaritan Village Lake Forest, 3901 Montecito Drive, Denton, TX 76205 or Jesus Film Project. 27631 La Paz Road, Suite A, Laguna Niguel, CA 92677.