Earl Steward

Earl Steward, 93, a resident of Rock Island, Illinois died on Thursday, December 25, 2014 at St. Anthony’s Continuing Care Center in Rock Island where he had resided for the past two years.

Visitation will be from 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf, Iowa.  Additional visitation will be held on Friday, January 2, 2015 from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. at the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home in Ava, Missouri.  Funeral services will be held at 12:00 P.M. Friday at Clinkingbeard Funeral Home.  He will be laid to rest at the Murray Cemetery in Squires, Missouri where military honors will be conducted.  Memorials may be made to Heartland Hospice of Moline, Illinois.

He was born October 7, 1921 in Wright County, Missouri, the son of William & Lula (Gale) Steward.  During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army where he had received two Bronze Stars and the Good Conduct Medal.  He was honorably discharged following the war.

On July 5, 1946, he was united in marriage to Elda I. Kilburn at Mountain Home, Arkansas.  She preceded him in death on December 29, 1980.  He later was united in marriage to Stella K. Hitchcock on July 3, 1981 in Mountain Home.  She preceded him in death on February 7, 2005.

Earl retired from the Farmall Company of Rock Island, Illinois where he had been employed for 30 years.

He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Moline and a former member of the United Auto Workers Union Local 1309.

Among the things he enjoyed were playing billiards, dominos and a good game of poker.

Those left to honor his memory include his daughters, Earlene LeMaster and Cathy (Ken) Conger, all of Moline, Illinois; his grandchildren, Debbie Harkness, Amanda Conger, Travis Conger and Lucas Conger; and several great-grandchildren.

In addition to his wives, Earl was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Donna Marie Steward; and several sisters and brothers.