"Betty" Evelyn Elizabeth Stewart

Betty (Evelyn Elizabeth) Benson came into the world in Renton, Washington on December 1, 1919, the 7th of 8 children born to John and Lulu Benson. Orphaned at 12, she and her younger sister, Dot, went to live with their sister, Ethel, in West Seattle. Since Ethel and her husband, Stan, had a daughter named Betty, Mom became known as Betty B.

Mom graduated from West Seattle High in 1938. While commuting to PSNS in Bremerton, she became re-acquainted with a former classmate, Wayne Stewart, who worked on the ferry. They were married on June 5, 1942 and made their first home in Bremerton as Wayne had also begun working in the shipyard.

They had four children, Judy, David, Ed, and Naomi and later adopted Michael. The family lived on Shorewood Drive until 2000 when Betty and Wayne moved to Kitsap Lake.

When their youngest daughter began school, Betty returned to the shipyard and worked as a Supervisory Administrative Services Assistant in Public Works. She and Wayne both retired in 1972.

Betty and Wayne were active members of Faith Community Bible Church in Navy Yard City since 1946. There Mom was known to all as Grandma Betty. They were also involved in the ministry of Gideons International, and missions projects in the U.S. as well as overseas.

Mom was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years and her son, David. She is survived by her daughter, Judy (Jim) Kemp of Sao Paulo, Brazil and their 3 daughters, Mindy, Marci, and Annie; daughter-in-law, Pam Stewart and her two children, Chris and Rebecca of Bremerton; son, Ed (Shari) of Des Moines, WA and their two children, Brian and Erin; daughter, Naomi (Frank) Haynes of Salem, OR; and son, Michael, of Albuquerque, NM; 11 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Faith Community Bible Church, Charlotte and F Streets in Navy Yard City at 2:00 PM on Saturday, October 7th. In lieu of flowers, Mom would prefer that any gifts be given to the Child Evangelism Fellowship, PO Box 775, Bremerton, WA 98337. This ministry was always dear to her heart.