Barbara Clare Stuart

Barbara Clare (Wilson) Stuart Barbara Clare (Wilson) Stuart was born December 18, 1920 to Francis "Carrol" and Vivian (Hale-Brock) Wilson in Baldwinsville, Massachusetts where her father was employed as a box cutter. When she was small she moved with her family and younger brother, Harold, to Livonia, Michigan where she spent her early years. She attended Wilcox Elementary in Livonia and graduated from Redford High School. She then went on to Madison College in Tennessee where she studied for one year before April of 1940 when she married William Schenk, who had also come down to Madison College from Michigan. The family soon added a son, Neil, and nine years later a daughter, Jacquelyn. On March 28, 1963 Barbara "Barb" married Henry G. "Hank" Stuart who had two boys of his own, Robert and Paul. After raising their children, Hank and Barb moved to Wisconsin and then later to Washington to be near their children and grandchildren. Their marriage ended 40 years later when Henry preceded her in death in 2003. Though primarily a homemaker, over the years Barbara worked as a waitress and in pie sales, helped in the laundry at Cedar Lake Academy, and then went back to school in her mid-50s when she got her L.P.N. nursing license and began to work as a nurse. She loved gardening, canning and preserving fruit, sewing, crocheting, reading her Bible and studying her Sabbath School Lesson. Her biggest love was her children, helping to raise her grandchildren, and the Seventh-day Adventist church which she joined along with her mother in the late 1930s. Barbara was kind, committed, family oriented and giving. She often went out of her way in helping people. She was selfless and willing to go without for the sake of her children or others around her. When her mother, Vivian, became older Barbara took her in and cared for her for 15 years. Barbara passed away March 15, 2009 at the age of 88 in her daughter's home where she had been residing for the last ten years. She now sleeps awaiting the call of the great life-giver as promised in 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 and 1 Thessalonians 4. Barbara is survived by four children, Neil (Pat) Schenk of Delta Junction, AK, Jacquelyn (Bruce) Moore of Battle Creek, Robert Stuart of Lake Forrest, CA, and Paul (Tracy) Stuart of Homestead, FL. She is also cherished by her 12 grandchildren: Jeff, Ted, Ginger, Carl, Cindy, Neil Jr., Kim, Randy, Lori, Matt, Timothy and Justin; eleven great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. Services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 20, 2009 at Farley- Estes & Dowdle Funeral Home. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place later at Parkview Memorial in Livonia, MI. Memorials may be designated for ADRA through the Battle Creek Tabernacle SDA Church, 264 W Michigan Ave, 49037. Personal message for the family may be placed at www.farleyestesdowdle.com