What's New

Photo of the Month

Minerd.com Blog

Biographies

National Reunion

Interconnectedness

Cousin Voices

Honor Roll

In Lasting Memory

In the News

Our Mission and Values

Annual Review

Favorite Links

Contact Us

Nettie Steward

Pernetta Augusta "Nettie" (Pring) Steward was born on May 2, 1857 in Cedar Creek Township, Allen County, IN, the daughter of John and Caroline (Minerd) Pring. 

On Aug. 26, 1877, when Nettie was age 20, she married 21-year-old Jasper "Newton" Steward (1856-1904).

Almost immediately, the newlyweds migrated west to Missouri, where Nettie's married sister Margaret Cornell was living. There, their eldest son Arthur was born the following year. While the Cornells remained in Missouri permanently, the Stewards eventually made the decision to return to Indiana for good.

They bore a family of seven children -- Arthur Carlton Steward, Frank L. Steward, Clarence Tarney Steward, Hazel Roberts, George Washington Steward, Ernest Ray Steward and an infant who died in childbirth and is not identified.

Upon their return to Indiana, the Stewards settled their residence in Spencerville, DeKalb County, IN, and remained for more than four decades. Spencerville is about 16 miles northeast of Fort Wayne.

Little is known about the 27-year span of their married lives in the late 1800s and first few years of the 1900s.

Family portrait, Moore Studio, Kirksville

Nettie (left) and sister Jennie

When the federal census was taken in 1900, Jasper and Nettie and their children lived near Spencerville, with Jasper laboring as "head sawyer" and son George as a "saw mill hand." Newly married son Arthur and his wife Emma resided nearby.

Nettie must have remained close with her siblings over the years. She is seen here (standing at left), posing with her sister Jennie McCollough of Shawnee, OK.

Jasper passed away in Spencerville on April 26, 1904, at the age of 48. The cause of his untimely death has not yet been learned. He was laid to rest in the Spencerville Cemetery, also known as White City Cemetery. A handsome red granite monument was erected over the grave. 

Spencerville Cemetery

Nettie outlived her husband by nearly 30 years. 

Two of Nettie's adult children -- Hazel Roberts and Clarence Steward -- moved to Oregon at some point in time. As Nettie aged, in about 1928, she also relocated to Oregon to live in the joint household of son Clarence "Tarney" and daughter Hazel and their families in the town of Medford, Jackson County. 

In about 1931, she suffered the first of three strokes. 

Nettie passed away at the age of 76 at the home of her daughter Hazel in Medford on April 3, 1933. Her remains were shipped back to Indiana for burial at the Spencerville Cemetery. Her obituary, published in the Fort Wayne (IN) News Sentinel, said that she was "practically a lifelong resident of Spencerville." The obituary noted that she was survived by 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

~ Son Arthur Carlton Steward ~

White City/Spencerville Cemetery

Son Arthur Carlton Steward (1878-1960) was born in Missouri. 

He was tall and slender in adulthood, with grey eyes and brown hair.

In 1899, at the age of about 21, he entered into marriage with Emma Leone Billman (Dec. 31, 1879-1958), daughter of Charles Billman of Allen County, IN.

The pair initially resided in Spencerville, where Arthur worked as teamster and as a laborer of odd jobs. In 1912, they migrated to Garrett, DeKalb County.

They together produced at least five children, Paul Steward, Glenn Steward, Victor Steward, Laura "Bernice" Dissinger and Kenneth Steward. 

They worried when son Paul joined the Army during World War I, was assigned to the Sixth Regiment, Battery H, and shipped out to France. Emma tragically suffered a stroke of paralysis in late January 1918, with Arthur's sister Hazel traveling from her home in Spencerville to provide care. 

About the same time, son Paul, serving in the south of France, wrote a letter home that was published in the Fort Wayne News. In the letter, Paul wrote: "It don't do any good to worry about me -- that doesn't make it any better. Clarence was right when he said I would not be in much danger. The war doesn't worry me as long as I stay where I am." 

During the war, Arthur himself had to register for the draft, even at the age of 40. He told the registrar that he was employed as a railroad brakeman with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and lived at 415 South Welsh in Garrett. Emma survived her stroke, and lived for 40 more years. The 1920 census shows Arthur, Emma and their five children living on Walsh Street in Garrett, with Arthur employed as a railroad brakeman.

Sacred Heart Hospital, a landmark in Garrett, IN

Ten years later, the 1930 census shows them continuing to reside on South Walsh Street in Garrett. That year, Arthur maintained his railroad brakeman work, while son Victor was a bank clerk and daughter Bernice was a stenographer in an automobile accessories business.

The family relocated to Lake George, IN in 1943 and remained for eight years until returning to Garrett in 1951 at an address of 217 South Peters Street. Emma belonged to the Order of Eastern Star and the Ladies Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen.

Emma passed away in her residence, of a heart ailment, on Dec. 4, 1958. Rev. Melvin Seeger, of the Garrett Methodist Church, officiated the funeral. Her obituary appeared in the Garrett Clipper. 

Arthur died two years later, in 1960. They rest together at the White City Cemetery/Spencerville Cemetery.

Son Paul A. Steward (1900-1965) was born on Nov. 29, 1900 in Spencerville, IN. Circa 1927, he was joined in matrimony with Gladys Irene Sheerman (June 25, 1901-1970). Two daughters produced by the couple were Patricia Joan Campbell and Barbara Lee Steward. Their home in 1937 was in Ithaca, MI, where Paul owned a variety store. The Stewards were plunged into grief in the spring of 1937 when daughter Barbara, two years and eight months of age, drowned in a pool of water caused by an overflowing sewer.  He joined the U.S. Army during World War II. Stationed in the south of France, he penned a letter home that was published in the Fort Wayne News. In the letter, Paul wrote: "It don't do any good to worry about me -- that doesn't make it any better. Clarence was right when he said I would not be in much danger. The war doesn't worry me as long as I stay where I am." As of 1956-1961, Paul dwelled at 317 King Street, Garrett, IN. He died at the age of 64 in Garrett on May 8, 1965. Gladys outlived her spouse by five years. She passed away at age 68 in Auburn, IN on May 4, 1970. They sleep aside each other for the ages in Christian Union Cemetery. 

• Granddaughter Patricia Joan "Pat" Steward (1932-2008) was born in 1932. She was united in wedlock with Jerry Eugene Campbell (1932-2022). Their union endured for a remarkable 51 years. Together, they bore four offspring -- Darrell Campbell, Phillip Campbell, Danette Campbell and Gary Campbell. Jerry served as an electrician in the U.S. Navy for two decades, including during the Korean War. As of 1961, he was a chief electrician mate and lived in Vallejo, CA. After he was discharged, he spent 20 years with Kraft Foods as an electrician. He liked to garden, day-trade on the stock market and attend Navy reunions. Patricia died at age 76, in Urbana, IL, on June 20, 2008. Jerry survived as a widower for 14 more years. The angel of death spirited him away in Mahomet, IL on April 22, 2022. 

• Granddaughter Barbara Lee Steward (1934-1937) was born on Aug. 4, 1934 in Ithaca, MI. She was destined for a tragic end. On the fateful day of April 19, 1937, wearing a snowsuit, she was playing in the yard of their next-door neighbor, Rev. Fred G. Dunbar of the Ithaca Methodist Episcopal Church. At lunchtime he instructed the girl to go home, but, said the Garrett Clipper, "she wandered away, probably following some school children." Several blocks away, she ended up falling into a pool of water caused by an overflowing sewer, about two-and-a-half to three feet in depth. A neighbor boy saw what happened and tried to pull her out but could not. He then ran inside his house and summoned his mother, who ran out and pulled the girl out of the water. Added the Clipper" By that time her father, who was on a search for her, arrived and took her to a physician, but frantic efforts at resuscitation failed." Funeral services were held in the family home, led by their neighbor Rev. Dunbar.

Son Glen Steward (1904-1971) was born in 1904. At the age of about 21, in 1925, he wed Melvina Walters (1907-1988). They lived in Auburn, IN, and their only known child was Ralph Steward. On the dark day of Dec. 29, 1934, mourning swept over the family when their son was struck and killed by a motorist while the boy was sliding on an icy street near their home. According to the Indianapolis Star, another motorist stopped to help and called for an ambulance. But there was no hope. Glen died en route to the hospital. The horrific accident was reported in newspapers statewide. Glen and Melvina resided for decades in Auburn, with an address circa 1958 of 334 West Fourth Street He died in 1971. The remains were interred in Woodlawn Cemetery, Auburn.

Son Victor Steward (1907-1990) was born on March 25, 1907 in Spencerville, IN. Circa 1930, still living with his parents on South Walsh Street in Garrett, DeKalb County, IN. He was employed at the time as a bank clerk. On June 4, 1930, he entered into marriage with Kathryn Kimes (1912-2010). The two children born to this couple were Donald Steward and Leanore Steward. The couple dwelled in Garrett. They separated on May 22, 1937, with Kathryn making complaint of his cruelty. A divorce was handed down in December 1937, as reported in the Garrett Clipper.  Victor wed a second time in 1942 to Hellen Blanche Alford (1915-1996). Together they bore one son. Victor was employed for half a century by Garrett State Bank. By 1956, when mentioned in a Garrett Clipper article about his cousin Alverta Burns, he was living at 415 South Walsh Street. He was named in the 1972 obituary of his brother Kenneth and at the time made a home in Garrett. He was cleaved away by the grim reaper of death at the age of 82 on Feb. 4, 1990. The remains were lowered into eternal rest in Christian Union Cemetery. Hellen outlived her husband. She died at age 81, in Auburn, IN, on Sept. 7, 1996.

• Grandson Donald D. Steward (1931- ? ) was born in about 1931. He served in the U.S. Army for three years, including a deployment to France. Donald entered into marriage with Evelyn Scheurich ( ? - ? ), daughter of Kenneth Scheurich. They resided at Holiday Lakes, IN and were the parents of Michael Steward and Cynthia Lou Steward. Circa 1963, Donald was employed as an industrial arts and shop teacher at Garrett High School.

• Granddaughter Leanore Steward (1935- ? ) was born in about 1935.

Daughter Laura "Bernice" Steward (1909-2005) was born in 1909 in Spencerville, IN. In 1930, unmarried, she dwelled with her parents in Garrett, IN and was a stenographer in an automobile accessories business. Circa 1934, she wed Charles George Dissinger (1907-1990). The four daughters born to this family were Carol Bates, Arlene Motter, Dee Ramsey and Marilyn Steiner. Circa 1958, they made a home in Auburn, IN and are known to have attended Highland Bethel Church. Charles passed into the realm of eternity on May 25, 1990. Laura endured for 15 more years. She died in Fort Wayne's Parkview Hospital at the age of 95 on March 4, 2005. She was survived by a baker's dozen grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Highland church, with an obituary appearing in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

• Granddaughter Carol Dissinger married David Bates. They were in Marion, IN in 2005.

• Granddaughter Arlene Dissinger wed John Motter. They put down roots in Phillipsburg, OH.

• Granddaughter Dee Dissinger was joined in wedlock with James Ramsey. Circa 2005, they were in Fort Wayne.

• Granddaughter Marilyn Dissinger entered into marriage with Richard "Dick" Steiner. The pair has dwelled in Fort Wayne. 

Son Kenneth Steward ( ? -1972) was born in (?). He was married Florence (Hutton) Turner ( ? - ? ). She brought a stepson into the second union, Jack W. Turner Sr. Kenneth and Florence became the parents of  Joyce Gale Steward. Circa 1940-1951, he was employed by Kroger's in Garrett, including the last four years as store manager. The family home in 1949 was located at 311 East Houston Street. They were plunged into unspeakable grief when their 10-year-old daughter contracted a deadly form of polio and died on Aug. 25, 1949. Kenneth resigned from Kroger's to accept a position in the construction business in Hammond, IN. He is known to have been employed by City Service Oil Company of East Chicago, IN. The Stewards resided in Hammond into the 1960s and by the early 1970s relocated to Tarpon Springs, FL. Kenneth passed away in Tarpon Springs at the age of 59 on Jan. 2, 1972. His obituary appeared in the Munster (IN) Times.

• Step-grandson Jack W. Turner Sr. (1930-2006) was born on Oct. 20, 1930 in Niles, Berrien County, MI. He grew up in Garrett, IN. Jack entered into marriage with Judith Ann Russell ( ? -2019) of Hammond, IN. Two known sons born to the union were Jack W. Turner Jr. and James Turner  The family dwelled in Hammond, where Jack Sr. was employed in 1957 with the Harbor Belt Railroad. Judith earned a living with the Hammond Housing Authority and, in the 1970s, was the owner of "The Hair Inn" beauty salon in Highland. Jack passed away in Hammond at the age of 75 on April 22, 2006. Burial was in St. John-St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Judith survived by a baker's dozen years, during which time she made a home in nearby Hobart, IN. Death cut her away on July 26, 2019, at the age of 82. An obituary was printed in the Munster (IN) Times.

  Step-great-grandson Jack W. Turner Jr. (1956- ? ) was born in 1956 in St. Margaret's Hospital, Hammond, IN. He was deceased by 2019.

  Step-great-grandson James Turner ( ? - ? ) married Diane. Their home in 2019 was in Franklin, TN. 

• Granddaughter Joyce Gale Steward (1939-1949) was born on March 7, 1939 in Hammond, IN. She spent her first five years in Hammond and then in about 1944 moved with her parents to Garrett and dwelled at 311 East Houston Street. She was a student at Will Franks School, located across the street from their residence, belonged to the 4-H Busy Bee Club and attended the Sunday School of the local Methodist Church. Tragically, on Aug. 25, 1949, "she became DeKalb county's first polio fatality of the year," reported the Garrett Clipper.  Her illness apparently began with symptoms of a slight cold, with a doctor prescribing medication. Several days later, she became nauseous and found it difficult to breathe, and her temperature stood at 101 degrees. Later in the week, her breathing became more labored and throat congestion increased. When her mother tried to give her pills, Joyce began to bleed from the nose and mouth, and her breathing grew worse. She was rushed to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, in a Carl C. McKee Jr. ambulance. Continued the Clipper: 

At the first stoplight on the way into Fort Wayne, the child began hemorrhaging again and became unconscious. The ambulance raced to the hospital and upon arrival a slight pulse was noted in the child's body. She expired a short time later. The polio specialist there diagnosed the case as bulbar poliomyelitis. He told the parents that this is the most virulent type of polio and that the child could not have been saved had she been placed in an iron lung from the moment of her illness. There is no known cure for bulbar polio and the disease acts very rapidly, first paralyzing the lungs and then traveling up the spine into the brain. 

Joyce's tender remains were laid to rest in Union Cemetery, northwest of Garrett, with the funeral officiated by Rev. R.J. Yunker of the Methodist Church. An obituary in the Clipper  pictured Joyce playing her accordion. Another related story said that the family had requested no flowers for the funeral, so loved ones began to collect donations for use in purchasing an iron lung or "assist in the fight against polio by medical research." In another horrible twist, about a month-and-a-half later, polio claimed its second victim in Garrett, five-year-old David Eugene Satterfield, son of Rev. E. Lacy Satterfield, pastor of the local Church of Christ. 

~ Son George Washington Steward ~

Obituary, 1959

Son George Washington Steward (1880-1959) was born in 1880 and was of medium height and build.

He married Minnie Markle (1879- ? ), the daughter of Samuel Markle, in April 1901. Their marriage application notice was published in the Fort Wayne Sentinel.

They made their home at 512 Putnam in Fort Wayne and were the parents of three children -- Jessie M. Weber, Charles Walter Steward and Dale W. Steward. Sadness spread over the family when son Charles died on July 8, 1908 at the age of just a few days.   

George worked for many years as a laborer for H.W. Lorr Paper Company (circa 1918) and as a cutter with the Undergarment Manufacturing Company, retiring in 1945. The censuses of 1920 and 1930 shows the family living on Putman Street in Fort Wayne. 

In 1930, 20-year-old niece Berniece -- the daughter of Arthur Steward -- lived with George and Minnie. That year, son Dale was employed as a tool maker in a local electric plant, while niece Berniece worked as a stenographer with an automobile company.

Downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana

The angel of death cut away Minnie at the age of 78 on Nov. 27, 1957.

George outlived her by almost two years. He passed away at the age of 79 in St. Joseph's Hospital in Fort Wayne, on July 22, 1959. Burial was in White City Cemetery.

Daughter Jessie Marie Steward (1902-1964) was born on June 19, 1902 in Spencerville, IN. She was joined in matrimony with William Franklin Weber Sr. (June 29, 1901-1968). One known son was William Franklin Weber Jr. Jessie passed away at age 62 on Aug. 13, 1964. William Sr. outlived her by four years. He surrendered to death two days before Christmas 1968. They sleep for all eternity in White City Cemetery.

• Grandson William Franklin Weber Jr. (1924-2006) was born in 1924. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1948, when he was about age 24, he wed Jean Marie Rodenback (1924-1993). One son born to the pair was Michael J. Weber. William was employed as a photographer for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette circa 1959. Many years later, in 1999, he opened his own studio, Bill Weber Photography. At one time he was a committee chairman, and she was active with the Ladies Aide Society, of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church. William belonged to the local post of the American Legion, was a founding member of the Downtown Sertoma Club and was active for 33 years in the Boy Scouts of America. Sadly, Jean Marie passed away in 1993. William endured for another baker's dozen years and dwelled in New Haven, IN. He held a membership in the local Emmanuel Lutheran Church. At the end, he was a resident of Heritage Park Nursing Home. He died on Jan. 15, 2006, at the age of 81. Burial was in Greenlawn Memorial Park.

  Great-grandson Michael J. Weber married Renee ( ? - ? ). Their home in 2006 was in New Haven, IN. Their four offspring are Aaron Weber, Sean Weber, Jaclyn Weber and Zacharey Weber.

Son Dale Wallace Steward (1909-1988) was born on Dec. 11, 1909 in Spencerville, IN. He employed in 1930 as a toolmaker in a local electric plant. That same year, he was joined in matrimony with Carrie Hazel Monroe (Dec. 28, 1912-1998), a native of Montezuma, OH. The pair's two daughters were Brenda Walker and Janet Uncapher. For a quarter century, Carrie co-owned Steward's Window Shop. The family were members of Trinity United Methodist Church. Carrie belonged to the Order of Eastern Star and the Auxiliary of the United Commercial Travelers. In September 1952, he is known to have been in Medford, OR to visit with his aunts Adrienne Steward and Hazel Roberts. He succumbed to the spectre of death at age 78 on Aug. 9, 1988. She lived for another decade and died in Fort Wayne's Parkview Hospital on Nov. 25, 1998. Her obituary was printed in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Their remains are interred in Fort Wayne's Lindenwood Cemetery.

• Granddaughter Brenda Steward married (?) Walker. She was in Fort Wayne in 1998.

• Granddaughter Janet Steward wed (?) Uncapher. Circa 1998, she dwelled in Fort Wayne.  

~ Son Frank Lewis Steward ~

White City/Spencerville Cemetery

Son Frank Lewis Steward (1882-1952) was born on Dec. 6, 1882 in Cedarville, IN and grew up in Spencerville, IN.

On Sept. 2, 1903, at the age of 20, he was joined in wedlock with Kathryn Silberg (Jan. 6, 1880-1948), the daughter of Warren W. and Mary Jane Silberg of Spencerville.

They produced at least three children -- Magdalene Hazel Steward, Alverta Burns and Walter Franklin Steward.

On Oct. 17, 1904, the pair relocated to Garrett when Frank found a job with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. They also lived in Garrett, DeKalb County, and made their residence at 604 South Franklin Street for decades.

In March 1907, reported the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, he "was called to South Chicago this morning to appear in court to testify in a car robbery case, in which several bottles of whiskey were stolen. Mr. Steward seals the cars and it was necessary for him to go to state whether the car was sealed when it left Garrett." 

Frank's career once was summarized in the Garrett Clipper, which said that after first working as a machinist's helper, he transfer to the transportation department and then on Aug. 26, 1910 was named a brakeman. He worked as such for the next 10 years and then received a promotion to conductor on Jan. 25, 1920. 

The 1920 census of Garrett shows Frank, Kathryn, their children and mother in law Mary Jane Silberg living under one roof, on Franklin Street. Kathryn belonged to the Garrett Presbyterian Church, the Order of Eastern Star and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

Frank was badly injured in a work-related accident circa June 1921, "as a train was pulling out of Garrett," reported the Clipper. "The engine broke loose from the train and Mr. Steward was slammed up against a wall in the caboose. Six months later he suffered a heart attack and was ill for a year and a half. He relinquished his rights as a conductor and became a baggagemen on the Columbian." 

He hired the law firm of Nash & Henslee of Garrett to represent him in a claim against his employer for damages. In time, the B&O asked that he no longer use his law firm and instead to deal directly with the company, and he agreed to the arrangement. As a result the B&O paid him $8,000. Nash & Henslee sued him for a one-third fee, but he refused, and litigation ensued. The matter was settled out of court in April 1924. 

In 1930, the census shows Frank continuing his occupation as a brakeman, while 25-year-old daughter Magdalene managed a coffee shop. Kathryn was elected that year as president of the ladies auxiliary of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen.

Kathryn passed away on Dec. 11, 1948. An obituary in the local newspaper said that Rev. Peter E. Sondah officiated at the funeral service.       

Frank survived her by four years. In September 1949, he and his daughter Magdelyn spent a month traveling in the west. Among their stops was in Medford, OR, to see his sister Hazel Roberts for the first time in 23 years. They also visited his daughter Alverta Burns at her ranch in Woodlawn Park, CO. 

His address in 1951 was 604 South Franklin Street, and he is known to have entertained his sister Hazel for a return visit in the summer of 1951. He retired from the B&O as a baggageman on Dec. 18, 1951.

Frank died from heart problems at the age of 69 in Sacret Heart Hospital in Garrett on Jan. 24, 1952. His remains were placed next to his wife's at the White City Cemetery/Spencerville Cemetery, with Rev. Peter E. Soudah, of the Garrett Presbyterian Church, leading the services.

Magdalene Steward's place of work, Presbyterian Hospital, Chicago

Daughter Magdalene Hazel Steward (1904-1967) -- also spelled "Magdalyn" -- was born on Aug. 24, 1904. She grew up in Garrett and never married. In 1933, at the age of 29, she was elected president of the local chapter of the Twentieth Century Club. She lived in Chicago in the 1950s, employed as a nursing instructor at Presbyterian Hospital, and spent 26 years of her working career with the institution. She was pictured in the Aug. 24, 1959 edition of the Chicago Tribune, shown supervising a student using a microscope to study staph organisms. In the community, she was active with the young adult volunteer committee of the West Side facility of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). Her home was in Hillside near Chicago. She enjoyed vacations to Colorado to see her sister Alverta Burns, who was living at the Triple-B Ranch near Woodland Park. By 1959, she was promoted to chairman/director of the natural sciences department at Presbyterian-St. Luke's Hospital. While in her automobile in the hospital parking lot on Feb. 9, 1967, she suffered a massive heart attack and died instantly. An obituary was published in the Tribune. Her remains were shipped back to Indiana for burial in White City Cemetery.

Daughter Alverta Steward (1912-1964) was born on Aug. 31, 1912 in Spencerville, IN and grew up in Garrett, IN. She was a 1927 graduate of Garrett High School and then enrolled in nurses' training in Chicago's Memorial Hospital. Upon graduation, she was employed by several hospitals for 16 years in the windy city. She married Bernard B. "Bud" Burns (Sept. 28, 1919-2006), a native of Jingo, TN. The trio of children born into this family were Barbara Burns, John Francis Burns and Philip Burns. They also helpled raise and provide shelter for nine other orphaned children over the years. Bud joined the U.S. Army in 1941 while our nation was still at peace. He was posted to Hawaii and, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, he worked there as a veterinary assistant. He continued to serve in the Pacific Theatre during his term of military service. Bud and Alverta in December 1945 purchased a ranch in Woodland Park, Teller County, CO, set against the backdrop of Pike's Peak. They are said to have made a bying decision within minutes of having first seen it, and named it the Triple-B Guest Ranch. Making a go of the ranch initially was difficult, with Bud taking a job as a carpenter and Alverta at the Blockner-Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs to make ends meet. As reported in the Garrett (IN) Clipper, their ranch was in a very remote section of Colorado, where there were no doctors and in a tough circumstance, locals had nowhere else to turn to for health care services. 

Soon after the people of Teller county learned that she was a nurse the calls began to come in for help in emergencies and she has been doctoring the area ever since. She has never accepted pay for her services. She responds to pleas for help, day or night, in any kind of weather. In the winter, it gets 40 degrees below zero in Teller county... Roger Holden, well-to-do lecturer and fund raiser, world traveler and part-time rancher, calls her "the most remarkable woman I've ever met. She is like Isaiah in the wilderness."

Above: Woodland Park, CO, home of the Burnses' Triple-B Guest Ranch. Below: 1956  Saturday Evening Post article featuring Alverta as "Angel of the Hills"

In November 1955, a number of their neighbors met at Our Lady of the Woods Catholic Church to show her much they appreciated her and her unselfish work, and she received as gifts a new medical kit and funding for buying medicines for the needy. As a result of what they represented to the community, the pair was featured in the Saturday Evening Post edition of May 26, 1956, authored by Bill Hosokawa and photographed by Pat Coffey, including a five-photo layout on pages 44-45. As time allowed, Alverta also was a fiction-story writer. During the offseason months, Bud worked as a pressman for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News newspapers. Both wife and husband were deputy sheriffs for decades in Teller County, and he served as chair of the county's Democratic Party. Bud also held memberships in the local lodges of the Masons and Lions for more than six decades. Sadly, at the age of 51, Alverta passed away in a hospital in or near Colorado Springs. Her obituary appeard in the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, saying she "had been a resident of the Pikes Peak Region since 1946." Her requiem high mass was held at the Our Lady church, by the hand of Rev. Michael Kavanaugh. The remains were laid to rest in the soil of Woodland Park Cemetery. Bernard outlived his bride by many years. He married again later in 1964 to Janice "Jan" von Trotha ( ? - ? ). Janice brought two stepchildren into the second union, David von Trotha and Shirley Friday. The second union endured for 42 years until the separation of death. In 1973, he sold 66.2 acres of their Triple-B Ranch to the Pike National Forest as a "miniature Garden of the Gods." Reported the Gazette-Telegraph, "The collection of red, sheer and tall monoliths is located along the east side of the almost complete Red Rocks Group picnic area three miles north of Woodland Park. The area also includes Ponderosa pine, Douglas firm and aspen." Park officials said they hoped to create a nature trail among the site's rocks. Funding for the $74,600 acquistion came from the Forest's portion of Golden Eagle Passport sales. Bud died on Oct. 19, 2006. The headcount of his survivors included 18 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren. An obituary appeared in the Gazette, with a memorial service held in Woodland Hills. Alverta was remembered and featured in a 2013 exhibit by the Ute Pass Historical Society displayed at the Pikes Peak Regional Hospital, including photographs and her nurse's uniform and medical bag.

• Granddaughter Barbara Burns lived in Littleton, CO in 1964. She was united in wedlock with (?) Barcus ( ? - ? ). The four daughters from this union were Sherry Barcus, Debbie Barcus, Betsy Barcus and Julie Barcus. In 2006, she continued to make a home in Littleton.

• Grandson John Francis "Jay" Burns ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). As a young man, he earned a living with Martin Company. On Dec. 18, 1960, he entered into marriage with Georgiana Bear ( ? - ? ), daughter of Kenneth Bear of Colorado Springs. The nuptials were held in the Church of the Wildwood, officiated by Rev. Conard Pyle, and announced in the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. Georgiana at the time of their wedding was employed in an optical laboratory as a secretary. He appears to have married again to Rena ( ? - ? ). He was the father of Kelley Jo Burns, Philip Burns, Jason Burns, Jerry Burns, Laurie Burns and Donna Burns. They resided in Woodland Park, CO in 1964 and in Colorado Springs in 2006.

• Grandson Philip "Boo" Burns (1947-2011) was born on Oct. 19, 1947 and was raised on his parents' ranch. He was a 1966 graduate of Woodland Park High School, where he played varsity basketball and baseball. As a young man, he joined the teamsters union and spent his working career as a truck driver and operator of heavy equipment. He was joined in matrimony with Chris ( ? - ? ). He was the father of Derek Burns and Hallie Kerr. Circa 2006, the Burnses lived in Canon City, CO. That year, Philip was named business manager of local 9 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, part of the AFL–CIO, where he spent three years until retirement. Sadly, following a short illness of cancer, Philip died on March 28, 2011. His memorial service was held at the Shining Mountain Golf Club, with an obituary appearing in the Gazette.

  Great-grandson Derek Burns wed Holli.

  Greeat-granddaughter Halli Burns married Keith Kerr. 

Son Walter Franklin Steward (1913-1957) was born on Feb. 9, 1913 in Garrett, IN, a community in which he spent his life. On May 7, 1838, in Albion, IN, he wed Mary Kathryn Vogeding ( ? - ? ), a Garrett resident and the daughter of Eugene F. Vogeding. Five children born to this union were Steven Alan Steward, Michael Warren Steward, Rebecca "Becky" Claxton, David "Buzz" Steward and Gregory Steward. Walter earned a living as a truck driver for Magnavox Company in Fort Wayne, while Mary was a nurse. Their address in Garrett in 1957 was 600 East Keyser Street. The family belonged to St. Joseph's Catholic Church. While on a vacation in July 1957, to visit his sister Alverta at their ranch in Woodland Park, CO, Walter was stricken with aneurysms of his blood vessels. He died two months later at the age of 44 on Sept. 28, 1957. The Eagles lodge members held rites, and a mass was held in the family church, led by Rev. Leon Pisula. Interment followed in Union Cemetery, located northwest of Garrett. His obituary was printed in the Garrett Clipper. As a widow, Mary served on the Garrett Board of Health and was active in efforts to prevent a polio vaccine.

• Grandson Steven Alan Steward (1940- ? ) -- also spelled "Stephen" -- was born in about 1940. He enjoyed fishing trips to the Osebo River in northern Michigan. Steven was a graduate of Garrett High School and was a student at Indiana University in 1958-1959. He is known to have been employed circa 1962 in tool production engineering by Magnavox Corporation, and to have been a member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the local order of the Eagles. On June 16, 1962, in St. John the Baptist Church of Fort Wayne, he wed Brenda Kay Stahl ( ? - ? ), daughter of Earl Stahl of Fort Wayne. Rev. Msgr. Charles Feltes presided. The marriage was announced in the Garrett Clipper, which reported that the bride "appeared in a white silk organza over taffeta gown with a detachable chapel length train featuring lace appliques accepted with seed pearls. The gown had a cummerbund waist with a lace overjacket trimmed with seed pearls and the long sleeves tapered over the wrists. The fingertip veil of French illusion was secured to a lace half hat interspersed with seed pearls " At the time, Brenda was a teacher at Fort Wayne Finishing School and a receptionist and secretary at O'Rourke & Company, Inc., and was a member of the Cameo Modeling Club. Evidence suggests that Steven married a second time to Dee ( ? - ? ). In 2016, the Stewards were in Grabill, IN.

• Grandson Michael Warren "Mick" Steward (1942-2016) was born on Sept. 23, 1942 in Melrose Park, IL. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. On Oct. 22, 1968, when he was 26 years of age, he married Coleen Kaye DePew ( ? -2014). Two offspring from this union were Todd Steward and Christina M. Brennan. They appear to have lived in Garrett early in the marriage. For 31 years, he worked in the warehouse of B.F. Goodrich and retired in 1999. They belonged to St. Joseph Catholic Church of Garrett. Sadly, Coleen died on April 12, 2014. Michael outlived his bride by almost two years. Death swept him away at the age of 73, in Fort Wayne's Brookdale Senior Solutions, on Jan. 7, 2016. His mass of Christian burial was held in the family church, led by Rev. Fr. Andrew Nazareth. Interment was in Christian Union Cemetery. In an obituary in the KPC News, the family asked that any memorial donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

  Great-grandson Todd Steward was married to or a companion of Lisa Utermark. They have resided in Kendallville, IN.

  Great-granddaughter Christina M. Steward wed Craig Brennan. They were the parents of Alex Brennan. Sadly, she was deceased by 2016. The widowed Craig made his home in 2016 in Avilla, IN.

• Granddaughter Rebecca "Becky" Steward (1944- ? ) was born in about 1944. She was joined in wedlock with Glen "Skip" Claxton ( ? - ? ), son of Leo R. and Esther Catherine (Geib) Claxton. They made a residence in 2016 in Garrett.

• Grandson David "Buzz" Steward (1947- ? ) was born in about 1947. He was married to or a companion of Coetta Baker and dwelled in Kendallville, IN.

• Grandson Gregory Steward (1952- ? ) was born in about 1952. He was united in matrimony with Barbara. They have lived in Littleton, CO.

~ Son Clarence "Tarney" Steward ~

Son Clarence "Tarney" Steward (1889-1951) was born on May 19, 1889 in Spencerville, IN.

He was a graduate of Spencer High School and was employed as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1912-1913, boarding with his brother Franklin in Garrett, IN at that time. He also was an alumni of Indiana University at Bloomington.    

On June 12, 1916, Tarney entered into marriage with Ezma "Adrienne" Stoehr (1898-1980), daughter of John J. and Eugenie M. Stoehr. Their wedding was held in the parsonage of the St. Matthew Reformed Church, led by Rev. Otto H. Sherry. Adrienne was an Indiana native whose parents were emigrants from Germany. She was eight years younger than her husband. In announcing the marriage, the Garrett Clipper said that she was "one of the prominent young ladies of Garrett."

He is known to have been a mathematics teacher for seven Years, employed by the Monticello (IN) School Board in White County, about 120 miles southwest of Spencerville. His teaching career was interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy during World War I as a member of the intelligence department.

Main Street in Medford, Oregon

Tarney, Adrienne and his divorced sister Hazel migrated to Oregon, settling in the town of Medford, Jackson County, OR. They remained for 31 years until the separation of death. In the late 1920s, Tarney's widowed mother came to make her home with them in Medford. 

He and Adrienne in about 1926 founded and operated a large women's ready-to-wear dress shop in Medford known as Adrienne's Place. She frequently made buying trips to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland and advertised her wares in the Medford Mail Tribune. The store employed Tarney's sister Hazel as a bookkeeper and niece Rosalie as a sales lady and merchandise buyer circa 1949-1950. Adrienne was a member of the Woman of Rotary.

Still in Medford, Tarney suffered a stroke in May 1950 and, over the course of the remaining 11 months of his life, was rendered an invalid. He died at home at the age of 61 on April 16, 1951. An obituary was printed in the Garrett (IN) Clipper. Rev. D. Kirkland West, of the First Presbyterian Church, officiated the funeral. On his crypt in the Medford Memorial Mausoleum, his surname is spelled "Stewart."

The widowed Adrienne married again in 1953 to Smith Ralph Dippel (1891-1967).

She passed away in Medford on Sept. 30, 1980, at the age of 83. 

~ Son Ernest Ray Steward ~

Son Ernest Ray Steward (1892-1972) was born on Sept. 7, 1892.

He was of medium height and build, and had red hair and blue eyes. He made his home in Spencerville.

Circa 1916, when he was 23 years of age, he married 18-year-old Zelpha Brown (1898- ? ), the daughter of Elma Brown of St. Joe, IN.

They bore a family of two -- William Newton Steward and Gloria A. Bowles Blackmur.

Circa August 1915, Ernest went to St. Joe to assist Byrd Harrod, of Fort Wayne, at the Sears Salting Station. In 1918, when he registered for the military draft during World War I, he was a self-employed automobile machinist in Spencerville. 

Zelpha and their son often traveled to see her mother in St. Joe. They took in the farmers' institute there in February 1918, as reported by the Fort Wayne Sentinel. She also was active with the Young People's Republican Club of DeKalb County, elected as treasurer in 1932.

By 1920, the Stewards had relocated to Garrett, De Kalb County, where Ernest's brothers Arthur and Frank had been working for several years. Ernest secured employment there as a mechanic. Census records for 1930 list the family in Spencerville, DeKalb County, with Ernest working as a road construction laborer. His occupation in 1940 was as a mechanic for a county highway gas organization. Ernest belonged to the Spencerville lodge of the Masons and Order of Eastern Star.

The family migrated from Spencerville to Florida in about 1966 and dwelled in Pompano Beach. Their address was 122 Northwest 50th Street, and they held a membership in the Zion Lutheran Church.

Ernest died at the age of 79, in Pompano Beach, on May 2, 1972. Burial was in Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens North. The Fort Lauderdale News printed an obituary.

Zelpha outlived her husband by 19 years. Death swept her away into eternity on March 24, 1991. A brief notice of her death was printed in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Son William Newton Steward (1916-1991) was born on Christmas Eve 1916 in Spencerville, IN. He relocated to Orlando, FL in 1955 and remained there for good, earning a living as a contractor for a homebuilding company. On Dec. 9, 1939, when he was 22 years of age, he was joined in wedlock with Mary (1921- ? ). The wedding was held in Auburn, IN. Their family included Allen Steward and Karen Rumpf. The U.S. Census for 1940 shows William and Mary living with his parents in Spencerville, IN. At that time, William made a living as a road construction laborer, and Mary as a painter of toys for a rubber company.  They relocated to Florida and settled in Orlando. He owned his own business, and she worked for Shelby Mutual Insurance Company. They held a membership in the First Presbyterian Church, and he belonged to the Masons, Mid-Florida Winnebagos and Florida Sunshine Winnies organizations. At their golden wedding anniversary in 1989, they were pictured in the Orlando Sentinel, and with a party held for the family. In 1991, their home was at 959 Sherrington Road. William died at the age of 74 on Dec. 15, 1991. The funeral was held  in the family church, led by Rev. William Foreman. His obituary appeared in the Sentinel.

• Grandson Allen Steward lived in Orlando in 1991.

• Granddaughter Karen Kay Steward ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She was a 1963 graduate of Edgewater High School. She received her bachelors degree in the classics at Florida Presbyterian College and her master's in teaching at Vanderbilt University. In December 1969, in Orange County, FL, Karen was united in matrimony with William Gregory Rumpf ( ? - ? ). The pair met when both were newly minted teachers at College Park Middle School, then known as Robert E. Lee Junior High. Their home in the 1980s and '90s was in the College Park section of Orlando, with William adding a bedroom, bathroom and back porch as the needs of the family grew. Karen taught Latin at Winter Park High School in the mid-1970s and was active with the Killarney Elementary School parent-teacher association. She was featured in a Nov. 4, 1975 Orlando Sentinel-Star article, "Latin in Further Decline at Winter Park High School." Unable to become pregnant, Karen and William then chose adoption through Catholic Social Services of Orlando. In this process they became the parents of a daughter, Sarah Rump, and then a son. According to a daughter, Karen is known for her carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and a variety of casseroles. 

  Great-granddaughter Sarah Rumpf ( ? - ? ) grew up in College Park near Orlando, FL. She received her bachelor of arts in political science and German in 2000 from the University of Florida and her law degree, cum laude, in 2003 from the university's Fredric G. Levin College of Law. Sarah wrote about their family experience and adoption in an essay in RedState.com (May 13, 2018), headlined "When You Choose Life, You Create a Mother." A gifted writer, she is is an experienced communications strategist utilizing new media and grassroots activism. She has advised a number of political parties, political action committees, non-profit organizations, think tanks and businesses as well as federal, state and local campaigns on election and campaign finance law, communication strategies, social media, public relations, and grassroots outreach. During her career, she has been the communications director for the Joseph Rainey Center for Public Policy and strategic communications manager for Right on Crime, a criminal justice reform initiative at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. During the 2016 presidential campaign, she served as digital communications director for candidate Evan McMullin. Sarah also is a front page contributor at RedState and the editor-at-large for The Capitolist, a Florida-based political commentary and news site. Her writing has been published online by the National Review, The Daily Beast, Independent Journal Review, Heat Street, Texas Monthly, Orlando Political Observer, Breitbart and Legal Insurrection, as well as opinion-editorial columns in the Orlando Sentinel and Austin-American Statesman.

Daughter Gloria Ann Steward (1934- ? ) was born in about 1934 in or near Spencerville, DeKalb County, IN. She was 17 years younger than her only sibling. Gloria was twice-wed. She first married (?) Bowles. Then on Oct. 15, 1991, in Broward County, she entered into marriage with David Benjamin Blackmur ( ? - ? ). She made a home in Pompano Beach in 1972-1991. 

~ Daughter Hazel (Steward) Roberts ~

Daughter Hazel Steward (1895- ? ) was born in 1895 in Indiana.

She married (?) Roberts ( ? - ? ), a native of New Hampshire.

Their two children were G. Richard Roberts and Rosalie Bowman.

Medford, Oregon

The first child was born in Indiana, and the second in California. Sometime between 1927 and 1930, the Robertses divorced. Hazel then moved to Oregon to join her married brother Tarney, living in Medford, Jackson County. 

The 1930 census shows Hazel and the children living with Tarney, his wife Adrienne and their widowed mother Nettie. Circa 1940-1950, Hazel was employed as a bookkeeper for her brother Tarney's clothing store, Adrienne's, in Medford. Her address in 1950 was 501 South Grape Street. She is known to have taken special interest in 1956 when her niece Alverta Burns of Colorado was profiled in the Saturday Evening Post, with Hazel arranging for the news to be printed in the gossip columns of the Medford Mail Tribune.

In the summer of 1951, Hazel spent four months in Indiana visiting with her brother Frank and other siblings and relatives who had not been together for 23 years. She grieved in January 1952 when receiving word that the brother had died.

At the death of her brother Ernest in 1972, Hazel remained in Medford.

Son G. Richard Roberts (1924- ? ) was born in 1924 in Indiana. He held a job as a teenager as a newspaper carrier. In 1950, he gave his sister in marriage at her wedding. More about him will be added once learned.

Daughter Rosalie Roberts (1927- ? ) was born on March 20, 1927 in California and moved with her mother and brother to Oregon. She was a graduate of Medford High School. Unmarried in her early 20s circa 1949-1950, her occupation was a sales woman for Adrienne's Store in Medford owned by an uncle and aunt. She is known to have traveled to Los Angeles and San Francisco to buy merchandise for the store. Later that year, on Oct. 8, 1950, she entered into marriage with 24-year-old Howard Donald Bowman ( ? - ? ), son of  Albert F. Bowman of North Powder, OR. Their nuptials were held at the First Presbyterian Church of Medford, officiated by Rev. D. Kirkland West. Reported the Medford Mail Tribune, the bride "wore a ballerina length gown by Adeline of ivory colored satin designed with fitted bodice with round neckline. The bertha collar was tucked to match wide tucks in the full hooped skirt. Her shoulder-length veil fell from a coronet of seed pearls and she carried a white prayer book topped with white spider chrysanthemums with a shower of white ribbons and stephanotis." Howard had served in the U.S. Army during World War II including an 18-month deployment in the Pacific Theater. He was employed at the time of marriage with C.C. Hoover and Sons. The Bowmans were members of the Eastwood Baptist Church. Death enveloped her on Christmas Day 2021. Her remains are interred in Eagle Point National Cemetery in Jackson County, OR.