Born: Sept. 28, 1940

Died: Oct. 6, 2013

Sally S. Stewart, age 73 years of Dowagiac, Mich., died at 5:20 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013 at her home with her family gathered around following an extended illness.

She was born on Sept. 28, 1940 in Niles, Mich. to William S. and Mabel L. (Johnson) Messner. She graduated from Niles High School, and has lived in this area all of her life.

Sally was a member of the First Missionary Church in Niles. She enjoyed teaching homemaking skills, gardening, camping and scrapbooking. She was a volunteer to the M-40 Hustlers 4-H Club. Her greatest interest was always her family.

On September 13, 1958 in Niles she married William L. Stewart with whom she celebrated their fifty-fifth anniversary of marriage, three weeks ago.

She is survived by her husband, Bill Stewart and by their children, Scott (Tami) Stewart of Dowagiac, Stephanie (Adam) Knepple of Cassopolis, Mich., and Kimberly (Stephen) Morris of South Bend, Ind.; grandchildren Nick Stewart, Alyssa Fritz, Nate Stewart, Aidan Knepple, Joshua Knepple, Riley Morris, Reagan Morris, and Ethan Morris; Sally’s father, Bill Messner of Niles, Mother-In-Law, Helen Stewart Hebner, sister Marilyn Steele of Niles, brother, David (Diane) Messner of Auburn, Wash., and brother-in-law, Robert Brown of Florida; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mabel on March 17, 2012, sister, Dixie Brown on Jan. 10, 2011, and a nephew, Byron Steele on July 15, 1986.

The funeral service for Sally Stewart will be at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013 at the First Missionary Church in Niles with the Rev. Daniel D. Miller officiating. Committal will follow at Mission Hills.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 6 until 8 p.m. on Friday at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles. Contributions in memory of Sally may be made to the First Missionary Church or to Hospice at Home.

www.halbritterfunerals.com