Donnie Lamont Stewart, passed away Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-NM in Oxford. He was born October 25, 1930 to Lucious and Vernis Stewart in Poplarville. He grew up in Derby, and graduated from McNeill High School in May of 1948. Less than three months later, he married Anona Yvonne Harveyon August 4. In 1953, after a few years of marriage, he dedicated his life to the ministry at Derby Baptist Church. He then attended Clark College, William Carey College, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, then Luther Rice Seminary, ultimately obtaining his Divinity degree.
In 1956, Bro. Stewart began his ministry as a pastor at Lake Como Baptist Church in Bay Springs. Over the next 33 years, he pastored at several churches, including Ted Baptist Church, Hebron Baptist Church, Duck Hill Baptist Church, Indianola Second Baptist Church, First Baptist Church of Coffeeville and First Baptist Church of Holly Springs.
He retired in 1989, but continued to serve many churches in north central Mississippi up until a few weeks before his death, including interim pastor at Philadelphia Baptist Church. He and his wife, Anona, also served the Lord through missions, including trips to South Africa, Hawaii and the Holy Land. He also was a member of several executive committees for the Southern Baptist Convention.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Anona Stewart; children, Sheila Stewart (Roger) Kirk, Duck Hill; Donnie Lamont (Susan) Stewart, Jr., Memphis; Steven Andre (Lucinda) Stewart, Memphis and Celina Roxanne (Kenny) Harrison, Grenada; 11 grandchildren, Ashlee Alaine Kirk, Roger Adam (Amy) Kirk, Britney Allyson (Brad) Harrison, Jordan Clark Stewart, Spencer Elliott Stewart, Joshua Lee (Lee) Stewart, Andrea Nicole (Aaron) Pittman, Olivia Ruth (Mark) Hackett, Benjamin Leseur Evans IV, Ryan Stewart (Shana) Evans and Philip Andrew Evans; nine great-grandchildren, Christian, Audrey and Ethan Stewart, Milo Pittman, Emma, Caroline, Ava and Mary Alden Kirk and Kirk Harrison, and three siblings, Bobby Stewart, Joyce Gresham and Brenda Bowen. He was preceded in death by his parents, and five siblings, Jack Stewart, Larry Stewart, Clifford Stewart, Mildred McIntosh and Marie Jarvis.
Funeral services were Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Grenada with Rev. Truman Scarborough, Dr. Thad Moore and Dr. Brent Barker officiating. Interment followed in Duck Hill Cemetery under the direction of McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service. Pallbearers were Adam Kirk, Ben Evans, Jordan Stewart, Ryan Evans, Philip Evans and Spencer Stewart.
Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.mckibbenandguinn.com