Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Eliza Stewart (Tiny Ruth) were held on Friday, Sept. 16, 2016 at 2 p.m. from First Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Lionel Davis officiated. Burial followed in Magnolia Cemetery. Hudson Funeral Services of Greenville directed.

Stewart was born Wednesday Feb. 12, 1936 to the late Eliza Colley Peterson-Perdue and the late Buck Little. Being a seven-month baby, she was given the nickname “Tiny Ruth” and that name stayed with her until she left this earthly world on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 at Baptist South Medical Center in Montgomery, Ala.

Early in life, she joined First Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev. H.N. Edwards, followed by the late Rev. R. F. McCreary and current pastor, Rev. Lionel Davis. She was a trustee, served on the missionary Society and nursing home ministry and as secretary of the senior choir. She was a member of the Butler County Optimist Club, and the life of the party at the Butler County Senior Citizen Activity Center.

For many years she worked for Major Cleaners and retired from Allied.

She married the late Mr. Robert Stewart in the year of 1951 and to this union they were blessed with five wonderful children. Through the divine will of God, three preceded her in death: daughter, Sammie Lee Stewart and two sons, Robert Wayne and James Earl Stewart.

She leaves to cherish her memories three sons, Dave (Gwendolyn) Stewart,  Dennis (Janie)

Stewart and  Dethrus (Tamara) Webb.

Later in life she became the earthly mother to Victoria (Travis) Bell, Myrle (Jerry) Randolph, Cassondra Milner and Fredrick (Lurlean) Crenshaw.  In her lifetime, she opened my home and heart to numerous

others who she leaves to call her “mama.”

She was preceded in death by her sisters, Amy Neals and Sallie Mae Scott; brothers, Levy and Roland Peterson; great grandson, Carter Jones; and  look-alike sister and riding partner, Clara Hudson.

Left on earth to remember her memories is brother, Horace Little; sisters, Sarah Steele and Lula Mae Geeston; cousins that were like her sisters, Josie Mack and Bena Smith; special nieces and nephew, Jean (Eddie) Crittenden, Estelle Womack, Johnnie Mae Roper, Vera Taylor and Leroy Roper; special friends; Mary Moore, Sarah Ann Scott and Vietta Stoutmire; her president, Mr. Hudson, Alma Brown and Mattie B. Rudolph. Her legacy shall continue through many grands, great-grands and great-great-grands, nieces and nephews. She asked that everyone remembers her as the life of the party, a Christian and someone who loved to sing and praise God, who she was ready for when He called her home.