Our mother passed away on April 2, 2022 after a fall in her home, twenty-four days shy of her 91st birthday. She was a child of the Great Depression who reflected the best qualities of her generation - faith, family, and community. She lived in the same house since 1965 and still had the ironing board she brought with her to McKinney in 1952. We are grateful that she had a long life, well lived.
Marilyn Jane Nall Stewart was born at home on April 26, 1931 to William Wallace Nall and Elizabeth Miller Tefertillar Nall in Centralia, Illinois. Her mother planned to name her Shirley after Shirley Temple. When one of her mother’s good friends named her new baby Shirley a few weeks before our mother was born, our grandmother chose the name Marilyn instead. She grew up with one brother, William Wallace Nall, Jr., who was three years older, and she graduated from Centralia Township High School in 1949 as salutatorian of her class. After graduating from Missouri Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri in 1952, she moved to McKinney, Texas as a newly Registered Nurse to work for the VA Hospital. On a blind date set up by friends at the hospital, she met James C. Stewart, Jr., a young banker, who had returned to McKinney after serving in the Navy during World War II and finishing college. She said he was the most handsome and eligible bachelor in town. They married on May 29, 1954 at the home of his parents, J.C. Stewart, Sr. and Cleo Jetton Stewart, at 617 N. Church Street and made their life together in McKinney, where our dad’s grandmother taught her to cook. Our parents were married for 57 years until our father’s death in 2011. Our mother said the secret to a successful marriage was a good sense of humor and a short memory. She ended her nursing career with the birth of the couple’s first child, Marilyn Elizabeth. On her daughter’s first birthday, they welcomed a son, James Clarence III and nineteen months later, another son, William Nall. From that point on, she was a full-time homemaker with three active children.
Our mother was a long-time member of the First Baptist Church of McKinney, where she taught Bible School and children’s Sunday School throughout the years, served on many committees, and in later years helped count the offering and Sunday School attendance roles. She was a PTA Room Mother, involved with the Camp Fire Girls organization, served as a life member Pink Lady at North Texas Medical Center, and was a former member of the Halcyon Club and the McKinney Library Board. She loved to entertain along with her mother-in-law and hosted many parties in her home for business and pleasure including three weddings. She loved MGM musicals, and her favorite movie was Singin in the Rain.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband, parents, brother, and mother and father-in-law.
Marilyn is survived by her children, Lyn Heard (David) of McKinney, Texas, Jim Stewart of White Deer, Texas, and Bill Stewart (Melanie) of Bonham, Texas; grandchildren, Brandon Stewart (Courtney) of Denton, Texas and Samantha Alexander (Deke) of Aubrey, Texas; great grandchildren, Collin Stewart, Kennedy Alexander, Cash Alexander, Berklee Carline, and Aubra Stewart; sister-in-law, Jo Dene Nall of Centralia, Illinois; and three nephews, Steve Nall (Vicki), Art Nall (Melissa), and Father Jimmy Nall, all of Illinois.
The family would like to thank her supportive caregivers and medical team including Corie Taylor, Martha Zavala, Mayra Gonzales, and Barbara Mayville; Martha Session, RN, Chaplain Mark Melton, and the VNA of McKinney, Texas; and Dr Billy Boring, Jr. and his staff.
A graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 8, 2022 at Pecan Grove Cemetery, 1701 McDonald, McKinney, Texas 75069.
Family and friends are invited to Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013 at their convenience on Thursday to pay their respects and to sign the register book.
Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church Senior Adult Ministry and the VNA of McKinney.