Marian Stewart

Marian Stewart died on Monday, May 21, 2007, at St. Mary's Hospital in Detroit Lakes, MN. Marian was born at Neche, ND, Jan. 16, 1940, the daughter of John and Annie Windt. She attended the first eight years of her education at a one room country school house. Marian contracted polio at age 13 and spent four months in an iron lung at Grand Forks Memorial Hospital. After several surgeries and months of rehabilitation, she was able to return to school where she participated in many class activities including elected class president and homecoming queen. Marian graduated from Pembina High School in 1958, and later attended Mayville State College. She was joined in marriage to Garylle Stewart Oct. 9, 1959. They lived in Kansas, Winnipeg and Bismarck. After Gary received his law degree, they made their home in Fargo. Throughout the years, Marian was active in PTA, Girl Scouts, Island Park Association, League of Women Voters, Eagles Auxiliary, Shrine Auxiliary and the Republican Party. She worked for Cookery and Crockery at the Moorhead Center Mall and later at the Dakota Boys Ranch, where she later retired in 1999, due to increasing muscle weakness. After many health problems, including a hospitalization lasting five months in 1999, in Mesa AZ, and later spending a year and two months at Meritcare Hospital, Fargo, Marian entered the Frazee Care Center. Though she was crippled from polio and told she would never walk again or have children, Marian was determined to prove the doctors wrong and walked out of the Grand Forks hospital and later had two children. She never complained of her disability and had a smile for everyone. She so enjoyed spending time with her family and especially her grandchildren, Ryan, Aaron and Alissa. Each summer she planned a special family trip or rented a cottage for her family and also enjoyed gardening, reading, watching soap operas, Trivia Pursuit, embroidering, bingo and casinos. She is survived by her two daughters, Elizabeth Young and family of Lake Park, MN; Audrey Farol and family of Fargo, ND; her mother, Annie Windt, Fargo, ND; one sister, Dorothy Davis (Delano) Fargo, ND; three brothers, Don (Jo) Windt, Kokomo, Indiana; Bill (Brenda) of Fargo, ND; Jerry (Adda) Pelican Rapids, MN; and special ex-sister-in-laws, Linda Easter of Ontario, CA; Sandy Stewart of Matthews, NC; Susan Larson of White Bear Lake, MN; and Renae Stewart of Lancaster, MN; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, brother and father.