Carl LaRue Stewart

Carl LaRue Stewart, age 89, of Melbourne, Florida, passed away peacefully in his sleep and went home to be with his Lord and Savior on November 3, 2025.
Carl was born on September 19, 1936, in Gary, Indiana, the oldest of three children born to Charles H. and Rheba (Barnett) Stewart of Oblong, Illinois. He graduated from Horace Mann High School in Gary, where he played football and tried his hand at the viola.
It was at Central Baptist Church in Gary that Carl met the love of his life, Jeannine Jevicks. Active together in the church's youth group, they were married there on June 1, 1956. Carl and Jeannine were blessed with four children: Kathleen, Allen, Edward, and Donna.
They raised their family in Indiana, where they attended First Baptist Church of Portage. Carl was deeply devoted to his faith and to the local church body. An avid Bible student and lover of Scripture, he served faithfully as a deacon, elder, Sunday school teacher, congregational song leader, and choir director in every church they attended. He was a born-again Christian and held firmly to the Regular Baptist and Reformed faith traditions.
Carl's working life was marked by dedication and adaptability. His early vocations included serving as a Dixie Dairy milkman before training to become an electrician. He later found his lifelong career in real estate, working with Gore Realty in Portage, Indiana, throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In the early 1980s, they moved to Longview, Texas, where Carl was instrumental in helping to plant a new church. They later relocated to Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked with Haury & Smith Real Estate Brokers, and then to Ashland City, where he enjoyed a successful career with Dixieland Realty before retiring in 2006.
In 2001, at the age of 65, Carl hand-built a beautiful log cabin on nine wooded acres in Clarksville, Tennessee. The family enjoyed 14 wonderful years there before moving to Florida in 2014. He lovingly cared for Jeannine during her Alzheimer's journey, enabling her to remain at home surrounded by family and the place she loved most. She passed away in 2015, just 11 months after their move to Melbourne.
Carl found great joy in simple pleasures-spending time with his wife, RVing, sitting on the porch watching hummingbirds, and feeding the wildlife around their cabin. Ever inventive and resourceful, he even designed an automatic deer feeder that ran on a timer he built himself. He was a true handyman who could fix just about anything and always found a creative solution.
He is survived by his children: Kathleen Stewart of Clarksville, TN; Allen Stewart of Santa Rosa Beach, FL; and Donna (Jeff) Carr of Indialantic, FL. He is also survived by six grandchildren: Trey (Megan) Stewart and Lane (Courtney) Stewart of Franklin, TN; John (Courtney) Carr of Melbourne, FL; Kyle Carr of Indialantic, FL; Kallen (Graham) Nichols of Nashville, TN; and Emery Carr of Viera, FL; as well as six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Lowell (Doris) Stewart of Valparaiso, IN; his sister-in-law Janice Callahan of Bel Pre, Ohio; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife of 59 years, on July 17, 2015; his son Ed on April 19, 2016; and his sister, Karen Tinder.
Graveside services will be held Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. CST at Prior Grove Cemetery, Martin Township, Crawford County, Illinois, with Pastor Phil Boyd officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. CST on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at Pulliam Funeral Home, 302 E. Main St., Oblong, IL 62449.
Pulliam Funeral Home in Oblong, IL, is in charge of arrangements. We would like to thank Kathleen for her assistance in gathering the memories that made this tribute to her father possible.