The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-09-17
THE STEWART FAMILY
Notable Reunion Held on Yearly
Meeting Grounds.

A reunion of the Robert Stewart
family and relations was held at the
Yearly meeting grounds last week
and proved a most enjoyable affair.
Their reunion had been inspired by
the presence in the city of Mr.. and
Mrs. Newton Irish who had been in
attendance at the yearly meeting and
who had camped on the meeting
grounds. Inc aAair was big sue
cess and many of the members OF the
family were gathered together for
the first time in many years.
The Stewart family is one of the
Oldest in the city and are pioneer
| residents. They came to Oskaloosa
back in the early fifties when the city
was village and its residents few.
But here they located and prospered,
reared family of five sons and three
daughters all of whom grew to man
and womanhood in the city, credit
and an honor to the parents. The
sons are ]. c., now of Lincoln. Nebr.;
S. b., of Omaha, S. j., of Omaha; &.
i s., of Omaha and Robert, of Oska-
loosa The daughters, Mrs. j. w.
j Graham, of Oskaloosa; Mrs. Lizzie
i Fenwick, of Des Moines and Mrs. j..
j N. Southwick, of Marshalltown. The
father Robert Stewart, sr., died at
i his home in this city in 1891, The
j widow who survives him is a well
known resident in the city today and
is known as Grandma Stewart by no
less than forty-three grand children.
j N. W. Irish is brother of Grandma
Stewart. The members of the family
4 gathered together at the Yearly meet
J ing grounds Tuesday and took the en-
u tire day for the affair. they had a
big dinner and every. hour of the
J, time was thoroughly enjoyeds Those
of the family participating in the oc-
. casion were Newton Irish and wife
: and two daughters of Belgrade,
) Nebr., make Graham and wife and
5 Mark Graham and wife, of Center
: vile, Jesse Southwick, wife and
. daughter, of arrnalltown, John p.
Morris and wife, of West Branch.
Those in attendance from the city
were Grandma Stewart, Robert Stew
art, wife and two daughters, Sam
Graham, wife and son, John Graham,
wife and son, c. M, Graham and wife,
Howard Coleman, wife and two sons
/. G. Southwick, wife, son and daugh'
ter, Will Southwick, wife, son and
daughter, John Fenwick, H. C. Holl.
ingsworth and wife.
The day was a memorable one for
all present and all sought to honor
! Mrs. Stewart in one way or another
= Stories were told of the days wher
this or that member of the famil.
did thus and SO. One story recallet
e another incident and names wer'
mentioned of persons all but forgot
y ten in the changing scenes of years
u No woman in the city was better
u known in the olden days than Grand
= ma Stewart She was everywhere in
u the city where there was sickness
bereavement or trouble of any kind
She was a much sought after wo
man in the days when one depended
on another and when sacrifices were
freely given and burdens and sor
rows were shared, seemingly in
+ different manner than these things
y are done today. The hours of the re
Il union passed all too quickly and al
most before the fact was realized thu
time for good-byes had come, bu
e each of the party had resolved tina
another reunion should be held ant
= an effort made to have all of the chill
= dren and the children's children pres
ent.