Tributes for Edna Keechler Stewa

Tributes & Memorials for Edna Keechler Stewart
Updated: 06/26/2005 09:04 PM
The following tributes were started last fall and a copy of each was printed out for Edna to read. She also received a large number of cards and letters at home and many Pattersonites visited her both at home and in the care center where she died. This was a unique chance to let her know how many people cared about her.

Now we continue this page for those who wish to share their thoughts in her memory.

Edna we just want you to know we are thinking of you and you are in our prayers.
Marla & Louie von Moos (11-01-04)

Dear Mrs. Stewart,

It isn't often that one can say that a teacher taught every one of their relatives starting in the late 1920's into the 1960's.

I think a few of us growing up in Patterson can say that you were the teacher who did that and it is quite a distinction.

My Grandfather and Grandmother, Joe V. Azevedo and Maria, migrated from the Azores Islands and moved to Patterson in 1916.

Nine children were born to them and you taught all of them when they started school, starting with my Mother Vivian Azevedo Espy. I am listing all of them as a reminder to you and because of your sharp memory, I know that you will remember most of them.

Vivian Azevedo Espy (residing in Patterson)

George V. Azevedo (deceased)

Lt. Colonel John V. Azevedo (residing in Patterson and your good friend)

Josephine Azevedo Fernandes (deceased)

Ann Azevedo Kjonaas (residing in Cherry Valley, Calif.)

Irene Azevedo Rusenko (deceased)

Rosemarie Azevedo Starcher (residing in Patterson)

Tony Azevedo (residing in Temecula, California (you also taught his wife Nancy)

Virginia Alvernaz Shipley residing in Blue Diamond, Nevada (Vivian Espy's daughter)

Patty Rusenko Padilla (Irene's daughter) residing in Turlock

Kurt Kjonaas (Ann's son) deceased

Kris Kjonaas Reade (Ann's daughter) residing in Cherry Valley

You also taught the first and second Kjonaas generation who were related to us by the marriage of Ann Azevedo and Alvin Kjonaas in 1948.

I remember you as being very strict and disciplined and it wasn't appreciated until many years later when I realized the values you had instilled in me. You taught me to love reading and be organized because you insisted that our desks remained uncluttered while we were in class.

Writing this email has taken me on a trip of memory as I looked through our class books and even though I didn't graduate with my class of 1952 I had a great education and very fond memories of the teachers who were so dedicated to us.

Most of them are deceased now but it is certainly a pleasure to pay tribute to you and your many, many years of dedicated service to the children of Patterson.

Thank you Mrs. Edna Stewart!

Sincerely,

Virginia Alvernaz Shipley

Class of 1952 (11-02-04)

Dear Edna,

I can't believe it's been 13 years since I retired from doing hair. I looked forward to seeing you every week. You had the most beautiful flowers in the world. The arrangements you brought to the shop gave me so much joy. To this day I always have flowers in my house. And guess what, I even have beautiful camellias in my garden. I think of you every year when they bloom. I wish you could see them. They're all white and so pretty.

Thanks you so much for letting me style your hair every week for all those years. When I left, I really missed all my customers. You were all so special to me. Special times I will never forget.

Take care, dear Edna, and God bless you.

With love,

Gloria (Pires) Monaco (11-03-04)

Good Morning!

This morning when I wakened

And saw the sun above,

I softly said, "Good morning, Lord,

Bless everyone I love".

Right away I thought of you

And said a loving prayer,

That HE would bless you specially,

And Keep you free from care.

I thought of all the happiness

A day could hold in store,

I wished it all for you because

No one deserves it more.

I know God heard my prayers for you

He hears them all you know.

May God Bless You.

Virginia Alberti (Class of 1950) (11-04-04)

Dear Edna,

Not to be outdone by your ex-students & long time Pattersonites, just want to put in our two cents worth. We want to wish you "Lots of Love."

From late-comers to the Patterson scene,

Nita & Pete Goetz & daughter

Barbara Goetz Cook (11-04-04)

What an neat...and nice way to say Hello.....This is a novel idea of someone

and they are to be congratulated....more important....it will keep the good wishes

flowing into your house. Love Geraldine Joyner (11-04-04)

I would like to extend to you Edna on this your 97th year; my tribute.

The joy and pleasure I have had in knowing you for all these many wonderful years is very special to me. Though I was only one of the 1500 "Keechler Kids" I have had the opportunity to know you as teacher, coach, congregant, and most importantly friend.

You have always impressed me with that stern demeanor along with a bright twinkle in the eye. You molded many young people with care, concern and a deep appreciation of your role as teacher and administrator. Thank's for caring so much and teaching us to "keep your eye on the ball." What success I've had is because of teachers like you, thank you so much.

Edna, I wish you the very best.

Fondly,

Phil Breasher

Northmead 47-51 (11-05-04)

Edna Stewart is a beautiful lady and a wonderful friend. We are forever touched by the generosity she has bestowed on us and our two children. Our family is very blessed to have her in our lives. We love her very much!

Cathy and Ralph Klopping (11-05-04)

Edna Keechler was important in my life. Her highly disciplined fourth grade class helped me set a course

in science for the rest of my life.

Her spirit in the last 30 years was undiminished and I am grateful I had her strong influence in my early

years.

Allen Gee

Class of 1941 PHS (11-05-04)

Allen Gee passed away Saturday, November 20, 2004. He had cancer and developed pneumonia. Classmates will be receiving a letter. We will post an obituary on this site when available.

Dear Edna (Keechler) Stewart,

You have touched many lives through the years. I have fond memories of my time at Northmead and a special "Miss Keechler" as my teacher. I wish you well and may God's blessings be with you.

Doyle McElhern

PHS Class of '59 (11-06-04)

Please let Edna know that she is in my thoughts and prayers!!

Jay Olson

Class of "59" (11-08-04)

Dear Edna,

How are you? The foothill Owls are 7 wins and 2 losses. They are going to the Silicon Valley Bowl. We enjoyed seeing you this summer. We miss you. We hope you are feeling better. We miss you a lot and Ronnie told us the website where we could get your e-mail address. Did you watch the World Series? We wanted the Red Sox to win, so we were pretty happy. We hope you have a good November and holiday season. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

We Love You!

Love,

Brooke, Thomas, and Ally Sperbeck (11-08-04)

Dear Mama Stewart:

Even though you were not my teacher in 3rd grade I spent a lot of time around you & in your home! You taught cooking to the 4-H class I was taking & you took Kay, Jeanne, Mary & I to Hawaii for our graduation - what a fun chaperone you were. I have always enjoyed talking to you on the phone when I visited Mom & Dad in Patterson. I'm so thankful to have you as a friend in my life.

Martha Johnson Loewe
PHS Class of 1969

(I will be a grandmother in February 2005!) (11-13-04)

Hi Edna, There's no reason you should remember us, but Judy brought us to

your home once and you gave us cookies! Judi says you aren't feeling so good

right now and so we wanted to say hello, and tell you that you're in our

prayers. I just retired from teaching, and Karen just retired from Foothill

College where Ron and Judi work, so we'll be doing what you've been doing

over the past years of your own retirement---watching ball games, and having

enjoyable days. Judy has told us so much about you, and I will never forget

how kind you were to us when we visited. Your life has really served a

purpose, and you have much to be proud of. You are loved by many, and I

think your secret was that you loved them first. You are a good example to

all of us, and I would like to share a poem with you that you may have

forgotten over the years. I read it to my students regularly when I taught.

It's by Emerson.

We are a success

If we have lived well, laughed often , and loved much.

If we have gained the respect of intelligent people and the love of small

children.

If we have filled a niche,

accomplished a task, and left the world a better place than we found it,

whether by an improved idea, a perfect poem,

or a rescued soul.

If we never lack appreciation of earth's beauty

or fail to express it.

If we look the the best in others,

and give the best we have, then

we are a success.

There's one I like even better though---

At age 4 , success is not peeing in your pants

At age 12, success is having friends

At age 16, it's having a driver's license,

At age 20 success is having sex.

At age 35 success is having money,

at age 40 it's finding meaning and purpose in life.

At age 50 success is ----having money!

At age 60 , success is once again, having sex!

At age 70 it's back to having a driver's license,

And at age 75 it's having friends.

At age 80, it's no peeing in your pants!

Recognize any of this? I especially like the line in Emerson's poem about

success being that we have the respect of intelligent people and the love of

small children, and in that case----you are extremely successful.

God bless you, Dennis and Karen Webb (11-15-04)

Dear Edna:
   I saw the newspaper article regarding sending e-mail tributes to you and consider it a privilege to do so. No one has ever earned as many accolades in Patterson as Edna Stewart, who was the "class of the classroom." The town should name a school in your honor.
   It is a pleasure to have served the Patterson Unified School District with you and call you a dear friend.
   Fondly, Bill Boyarsky    (11-19-04)

I guess I am one of the few people that didn’t have the privilege of being your student but I have known you all my life and your community actions have either had a direct or indirect influence on me.

Do you remember when you took a group of kids (scouts?) up to the snow at Long Barn? It must have been around 1936 or ’37. While we played in the snow you were on skis. This led to a long time avocation of skiing for me and I actually ended up living at the destination ski resort, Park City, Utah.

Dear Edna,

My heart is breaking with the knowledge that you are so ill, but at the same time it is bursting with pride that so many others love and value you as much as I have for over 45 years, and I am so glad we have maintained regular contact most of my life. There are a lot of things that this 55 year old mind tends to forget these days, but I can remember back to my third grade class as if it were yesterday. Even though I was one of the lucky ones in that my mother and you were personal friends as she too was an elementary school teacher at Las Palmas and Northmead (Evelyn Morgan) and my mother told me that I would “thank my lucky stars” and be “forever grateful” for the fact that I got to be in your class, I remember still being scared out of my mind at entering your classroom ---after all you were the principal and everyone said that you had this gigantic paddle. And even though my mother was strict, you were even stricter which at the time did not seem possible! Yet enter we all did – that old gang of ours..Mary Ann Knutson, Karen Hinman, Ray Hector, Bobby Christopherson, Steve Hansen, Margie Christie, Claudia Arambel and oh so many others….terrified into the Lyon’s den….only to find you the warmest, most giving, wonderfully educational and fun experience of all my years in school.

I think that I have shared some of those memories with you in our annual Christmas letters which I feel so fortunate to have shared with you for so many years. If not for you, I would not know the difference between a magpie or a crow, or a bluebird or a blue jay for you had us study birds and I gained an interest and appreciation I would never have had otherwise; or of Halloween-- we cut out this magnificent black arching cat that I just loved and saved to this very day… or the tadpoles we watched grow into frogs. You are the reason that I spent the rest of my academic life correcting teachers who tried to get me to slant my paper to the left because I was left handed ----not knowing that you had taken it upon yourself, when we were learning to write on the chalk board, and on paper, to make sure that I turned my paper so that my hand did not have to twist around like most left handers and you made sure that I had the best penmanship in class so that I would not go through life with the bad penmanship so typical of lefttys at the time. I and my parents were forever grateful.

I remember with great fondness going with you and Kay into the hills to chop down a Christmas Tree one year and bringing back mistletoe and manzanita branches….which later were planted in plaster and decorated. And oh what fun it was to take those field trips and rides on the fire truck with Chief Ozzie Ball…. Or when I was so sick with the flu that I was going to miss having my class picture taken and you and mom arranged for me to have it taken in the evening and it turned out to be one of the best pictures I had ever taken fever and all.

Even though my family moved to Southern California when I was 12 and in 6^th grade, I have so many wonderful memories of the town I consider my home town and for all my old friends, but most of all my memories are of you and how you enriched not only my classroom, but my entire life. I wonder if you and Kay remember coming to Fullerton and going to Disneyland that first year after we moved – and how brave you all thought we were to be able to drive on the Freeways….after all we came from a town with no stop lights and certainly no freeways.

I look forward to always counting on your Christmas card being the first one I will get each year and know that it will be there in spirit …so maybe this year I get to beat you too it!. I send you my love and blessings always.

Dad (Bill Morgan, former Ag Teacher at PHS) also sends you his best regards and hopes for some miracles your way. He himself is in the hospital recuperating from emergency surgery Friday Nov 19^th. He is 90 and to look at him you would never guess he just had surgery – he has a really strong constitution and hopefully will be home by Thanksgiving. He let me know about this web site last week –as you know he still gets the Patterson Irrigator so that he can keep track of all his old friends and students and wanted you to know he is pulling for you. He said he didn’t think anything or anyone could ever hold you down…so keep your fighten spirit going. And Kay if you read this, our thoughts and prayers are with you also. Much love and never-ending hugs….

Susie Morgan (11-25-04)

Just want you to know that we are also proud of you Aunt Edna.
You have been an example to all of us. We love you very much
and thank you for all you have given to us as family as well as
your community.
God bless you and love,

Evelyn and Armin (11-30-04)

Dear Edna..

Hope you're resting well today; it's Sun, overcast and Nancy and I are

reading Sunday Times (checking the sports section to see what the new

Dodger management is doing to improve their income with new additional seats

rather than improve the team) before we go to a Christmas tree decorating

party. Every time I think of you it's never just one thing, it's always in

multiples: Northmead, pom pom pullaway, trying to read the most books to

beat Bobbie Wells, playing Poison and then dropping the marbles in class

ending up in your desk, playing stick-in-the-mud in vacant lot on way to

school, having a Swiss Italian tuff teacher that made learning fun, riding

up to Del Puerto Creek with the Bicycle Club for a picnic and catching and

bringing them home in our pockets so we could tie them up in our backyards

only to have them escape the next day, trying to beat out Eddie Jennings,

Bobby Densmore and Jimmy Webster in catching the attention of Helen Shirley,

making forts for mud ball fights in back if the Fisk Garage where the old

pewee golf course used to be; it never stops those happy unforgettable days

on your watch. Then afterwards when we'd stop by to visit you I'd always

walk away amazed at your remembrance of our lives even better than we did

and of course your prowess at sports predictions and how touched Nancy and I

were when you returned a jewel box I had given you when in your class so

many years before and commenting that you were sure Ruth Campbell had in

fact picked it out, not me.....so Edna enuff for now, I'll put an extra

ornament of the tree for you this afternoon.

Love...Chattin

Chat Campbell (Class of 1944) (12-5-04)

Dear Edna – Ir’s 1:30 AM in the morning and I just got home from work…(15 HRS and counting) and you know why you made my day, week and year! I love you too..so very much. And I don’t care who knows it so I am sending this quick message to you in your emails! I finally broke down and bought an artificial Christmas tree, and got it assembled, with lights but no decorations yet….sure will miss that pine smell, but it was easier than lugging a real one up the stairs – I keep them up so long that they are so stiff by the time I take them down and won’t fit through my door so last year I had to go and buy an electric saw to cut off the branches just to get the tree out of the door! I am making a quick trip home to see Dad on Tuesday – my half sister Judy is flying in for a half day visit from Chicago. Dad has recuperated really well from his surgery – amazing constitution and spirit – only matched or surpassed by your own. I hope to get a letter off to you with more of my really private thoughts to you in the next day or so, so hang in there and keep your spirits and energy up. If you feel up to it I would love to hear from you – call me on my cell phone…* and I will try to see if I can get your number too in case you are taking calls! I wish I was there to surround you in hugs.

Sending you love and blessings….daily,

Susie Morgan (12-18-04)

* Phone number removed for privacy considerations.