Hattie D. Stewart, 77
Nov. 26, 1934 — Feb. 24, 2012

Hattie DeFrance Stewart, 77, of Niles died at 8:51 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, 2012, at Lakeland Community Hospital, Niles unexpectedly of natural causes.

She was born on Nov. 26, 1934, in Benton, Miss., to Horace DeFrance and Julia Lucille (Slaughter) Clark and graduated from high school in Mississippi. She has lived in Niles since 1952.

Hattie was a member of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Niles and a former member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Michigan Majestic Travel Club. She enjoyed crochet and weekly visits to the South Bend Farmer’s Market with friends.

On Sept. 5, 1953, in Decatur, Mich., she married James J. “Jim” Stewart, who preceded her in death on Sept. 12, 1998. She was also preceded in death by her parents and by a brother, William Clark.

Surviving family includes her brother, Theodore (and Hattie) Clark of Elkhart, Ind., and sisters, Lillian (and Norris) Edney of Natchez, Miss., and Julia Hoskin of Caledonia, Mich., a special cousin, Donna Slaughter-English; several grandchildren, nieces and nephews and a large circle of friends.

The funeral service for Hattie Stewart will be at noon Friday, March 2, 2012, at Mount Calvary Baptist Church, Niles with the Rev. Bryant L. Bacon of the church officiating. Committal will follow at Mission Hills Memorial Gardens, Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends beginning at 11 a.m. Friday at the church.

Arrangements were made at the Halbritter Funeral Home, Niles. Contributions in memory of Hattie may be made to Special Olmpics or to the American Cancer Society.