Donna Mae Stewart, age 90 of Sioux Falls, SD, formerly of De Smet, SD, died Tuesday, March 19, 2024. The rescheduled  Service will begin at 2:00 PM, followed by The Order of the Eastern Star Service, on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the United Methodist Church, De Smet, SD; with burial at the De Smet Cemetery.

Donna Mae McGarvie Stewart was born to Lee and Lottie McGarvie on April 10, 1933, in De Smet, SD. The family lived in Cottonwood, SD at the time, then in Erwin, and later moved to De Smet, SD. Donna graduated from De Smet High School in 1951. She attended Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell and taught in a rural school for two years.

She married Bert C. Stewart in 1954. They lived on a farm south of De Smet until moving to De Smet in 1963. She worked at the Jack and Jill store, the De Smet School, and the De Smet Good Samaritan Center. She attended Huron College and South Dakota State University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1985. She attended North American Baptist Seminary in Sioux Falls and received a Master of Divinity degree in 1989. She was ordained a Deacon of the United Methodist Church in 1988 and an Elder in 1991. She served as pastor for United Methodist Churches in Leola and Frederick and the UCC Church in Barnard, United Methodist churches in Faulkton, Seneca, then in Hitchcock, and Broadland, until retirement. In high school, she became the organist and pianist at church. She also continued to play for the church even when she was the pastor. This past month, she played a digital piano for the chapel service in the nursing home in Sioux Falls.

She retired in 1999 when she and her husband, Bert, moved back to De Smet.  During her career as a pastor, she officiated weddings not only for church members but for many family members. The first wedding she officiated was for her son, Steve, and wife, Ronette Stewart.

Donna was a skilled quilt maker and enjoyed making quilts for family members and various charities. She also mastered the art of tatting. She made numerous items, always given away to family members, church members, and silent auctions. She taught herself how to decorate cakes. In the beginning, she made the cakes to provide to nursing home residents who were celebrating milestone birthdays and anniversaries. Her hobby grew to make wedding cakes and of course cakes for family members. She stayed busy working on crossword puzzles and jigsaw puzzles. Not passing on modern technology, you would often see her playing games using the electronic version of Solitaire on her iPhone and iPad. If you asked Donna if she wanted to stop for ice cream, her answer was, "I never say no to ice cream." !

Donna was an active member of the De Smet American Legion Auxiliary and Order of the Eastern Star. She was the Grand Organist in 1980 and again in 2000-2001 as well as the Assistant Grand Organist in 2010-2011.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bert in 1999; her sons, Calvin and his wife Diane, Steven; and sons-in-law, Earl Brown and Stu Fenley.

She is survived by two daughters, Karen Brown, Sioux Falls and Susan Stewart, Dickinson, TX; daughter-in-law, Ronette Stewart, Miller, SD; grandchildren, Christopher Stewart, Orlando, FL, Jason Kuk, Chad Kuk, Megan Zomok, Kellogg, MN, Jacob Kuk, Sarah DeHaai (Lance), Miller, SD,  John Stewart, Ft. Pierre, SD, Lee Brown (Jamie), Sioux Falls, SD, Gina Christenson (Cody), Chester, SD, Lindy Stevens (Ryan), Lufkin, TX, great-grandchildren, Zachary Stewart, Echo Stewart, Alex Stewart, Schelbie, Aubrey, Tanner and Bennett DeHaai, Travis and Allison Brown, Maverick Christenson; one great-great-grandson, Sebastian Resendiz; sister, Mary Lee Erickson, Platte, SD; brother, Darrell (Myra) McGarvie, Belgrade, MN.