Marvin 'Bill' Stewart

Marvin ""Bill"" Rayburn Stewart, 91, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away on Friday, February 10, 2012, at Odyssey Hospice, after battling multiple myeloma for many years and pneumonia recently. A memorial service was held at Velda Rose United Methodist Church, Mesa, AZ on Monday, February 13th at 11:00 AM. A service will be held at the Litchfield United Methodist Church at a later date. If you plan to attend, please wear something that Bill worked on for you, we'd love to see it! Memorials preferred to Litchfield United Methodist Church or hospice. Bill was born on January 7th, 1921 to Lura Rayburn Stewart and the late James Jackson Stewart in Liberty Township, Woodson County, Kansas. Bill was the youngest of 4. His father died of appendicitis before he was born, so his grandfather, William Rayburn, was his father figure. ""Little Will"" became Bill and the name stuck. His childhood was spent on various farms in Woodson County, going to country school, helping with the farming and riding a horse wherever he needed to go. He moved to Yates Center and attended one year of high school before leaving home to help support his family. Bill worked on various farms from Iowa to North Dakota harvesting crops. In 1941 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After an aptitude test, he entered instrument specialist training. His time in the Corps was spent working on C47s in the South Pacific. When the war was over, he boarded a troop transport ship and headed for San Francisco. About 500 miles out, their ship was told that San Francisco harbor was full and they'd have to go back to Hawaii to refuel and go through the Panama Canal to New York. It was a happy day when he landed in New York and boarded a train for Kansas. Upon returning to Kansas, he looked up a young woman that he fancied as a kid, Georgia Arlene Stephens. She had just finished working for Boeing in Wichita. They married on November 10th, 1945. The following year their son, Marvin Rayburn Stewart, Jr. was born. Bill worked for TWA as an airplane mechanic until he decided to go to the Kansas City School of Watchmaking . He studied watchmaking, diamond setting and hand engraving. After finishing school, one of his classmates asked him to go into partnership in a jewelry store in Litchfield, MN. Their daughter Vicki Marie was born several years after arriving in Litchfield. He and Georgia spent 35 years in the jewelry business at Stewart's Jewelry in Litchfield. During that time, Bill was active in the community serving on the City Council, as greens chairman of the Litchfield Golf Club, a member of Kiwanis, Golden Fleece Masonic Lodge, Zurhah Shrine Club, Chamber of Commerce, VFW Post 2818, 61 years with the Nelson Horton American Legion Post and several positions with the Litchfield United Methodist Church where he was a member. Bill loved to play all kinds of card games and somehow developed a nickname of EeeBeeGeeBee. His favorite car was the 1958 peach colored Cadillac. In 1986, Bill and Georgia retired to Leisure World in Mesa, Arizona where Bill immediately set up shop and started doing jewelry, clock and watch work for Leisure World residents. There was a constant line of women (and men) into the shop. When he wasn't working he was playing one of about 260 rounds of golf annually. He made 8 hole-in-ones during his estimated, 10, 000 rounds of golf. Georgia passed away in 2005. Bill kept golfing until a couple of weeks ago and all of his jewelry jobs were completed. The last 6 years he has enjoyed traveling, playing cards and special companionship with his sweetheart Mavis Sawyer. Mavis and her family were very special to Bill. Bill was honest, loving and a great example to everyone. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Georgia Stewart, siblings Velda (Ed) Scheibmeir and Jack (Dorothy) Stewart and nephew Jerry Stewart. He is survived by his children, Marvin (Marge) Stewart, Jr. and Vicki (Phil) Johnson, grandchildren Ryan, Katie and Evan Stewart, a 100 year old brother Gerald Stewart, special friend Mavis Sawyer, 'Swiss son' Kurt Osterwalder, and many nieces and nephews.