Belated R.I.P.

I just learned one of my favorite people, my ex mother-in-law Martha Stewart, died late in 2008. I thought I'd be on the list to know but just learned from my former sister-in-law that I wasn't. Apologies etc. Out of sight out of mind and all that.

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Martha Ross Stewart

7/14/15 – 12/10/08

After a long struggle, Martha Ross Stewart died in her sleep of heart failure at age 93. She was born during the First World War to Harriet Wightman and Milton Hurlock Ross in the Forrest Dale ward, west of Sugar House. All the stories indicate she was an active, bright, talented, child. At age seven she won first prize at the Utah State Fair for a water color. She skipped two grades to graduate from LDS High School at age 15, then entered the University of Utah. There she honed her artistic and poetic skills, affiliated with phi kappa alpha and Mortar Board honorary societies, edited the Pen literary quarterly magazine and graduated with honors in Art at 20.

Martha married Justin Call Stewart NewYears Eve, 1935 in New York City. They had three children, Peter, born in 1938, Polly, in 1943, and Heather, in 1948. While raising them, she found time to pursue her painting and poetry, and later took up stained glass work. Martha was celebrated among friends and family for her magical lino-cut Christmas cards which she produced for over fifty years.

She and Justin were long-time members of the First Unitarian Church and Humanists of Utah.

In 1954 Martha began to work at the Salt Lake Public Library, and subsequently worked at the State Library for the Blind and the Utah Historical Society, retiring in 1980. She became a docent at the University of Utah Art Museum, often wearing thematic costumes and delighting in teaching children around Salt Lake valley. Martha also enchanted generations of children with her paper cut-outs of birds and butterflies.

Through her last fifteen years, Martha hosted a bi-weekly waffle brunch at her home in the Avenues where the company was always lively and provocative.

Preceded in death by Justin, Martha is survived by her siblings, Ruth and Zaner and her children Peter, and Polly Stewart and Heather Stewart Dorrell, six grand children, Kate, Rachel, Leslie, Brett, Justin and Gawain; eight great grand children, and one great, great grand child.

Martha was an accomplished artist and a warm and witty woman. She was infamous for her puns. Her death leaves a void in our lives. 

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