Lacy Stewart

Lacy Stewart

Families
Genealogy

Nathan Lacy Stewart was born in Olney, Texas, on June 22, 1925. He went to school in Jal, N.M. through the third grade. After his father died, the family moved to Smithfield, Texas, where he began the fourth grade.

Lydia Lois Green Cook was born in Brownfield, Texas, on March 2, 1928. Her father worked for Gifford Hill Pipe Company, and the family moved frequently.

Both Lacy and Lois worked at Convair (now Lockheed) for two years until their marriage on March 21, 1953, in Weatherford, Texas. Lacy went into the insurance business and later worked for American Manufacturing Company. He retired in 1984.

In 1958, the Stewarts began building a house in the Smithfield area. They had been living with family members, and when the house was just a shell, they moved into it. It was raining on moving day and needless to say, the road wasn't paved. Mr. Gil Bridges used a wagon and team to haul furniture and boxes from Amundson Road to the house. Lois had saved some of her grocery money from week to week and bought new linens for her new home. When the wagon hit a stump, the chest of drawers filled with new linens was dumped in the mud. Lois made a trip to the laundromat that night.

Grandpa Green made an L-shaped road south off Amundson and east to the house, and it was named Stewart Drive.

Lois's children are Janiece Cook, born in Grand Prairie Dec. 5, 1945; Ted Cook, born in Weatherford Jan. 22, 1950; Mike Cook, born in Weatherford Jan. 26, 1951. The next five children were all born in Fort Worth. They are Liz Stewart, Sept. 6, 1953; Ray Stewart, Aug. 10, 1954, deceased; Nathan Stewart, March 14, 1956; Patricia Stewart, March 31, 1960; and Becky Stewart, April 2, 1961.

There are nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

All of the children went to Smithfield Elementary School where Mr. W.E. Walts was their principal, and each graduated from Richland High School.

The Stewart family had an old Studebaker car they were very proud of. Once Lacy went to an auction and returned home with four goats in the car. He put them in a pen with only three strands of barbed wire around it. Two of the goats went right under the wire and were never seen again. The Stewarts also had ducks, geese, pigs, and cows.

In May 1989, Lacy Stewart realized the only time he saw many of his friends was at funerals and visiting at the hospital. He decided to invite the entire community for a Smithfield reunion to be held on the Stewarts' four acres on the first weekend of May. That first year it was a three-day get-together, but since has been held for two days. Lacy and many friends set up tables, and everyone brought chairs and food, which was spread for the noon meal. Children enjoyed playing and adults enjoyed playing horseshoes, washers, and table games, but mostly just visiting and remembering old times. There was no music to drown out the friendly chatter. Attendance was usually around 300 on both days.

In 1991, all his friends honored Lacy by planting a tree in the Stewart front yard and setting a plaque at its base. There were so many friends who helped with the reunion arrangements: G.R. Montgomery, Roy Carter, Ray McCauley, King Bell, Red Harston, J.C. Harston, L.J. Palmer, James Gaddy, Harold Autrey, Leon and Billy Wiseman, Stanley Tataravich, James Simmons, and Lee Stewart, to name a few.

Lacy Stewart died on Nov. 1, 1995. His last wishes were for his family to carry on with the reunion. They have kept that promise. The Stewart home on Stewart Drive is still a busy place with family and friends coming and going. It's a home that is full of love and family values. This is a rare trait in this decade of the '90s.

Story told to and written by: Evalyn Lochridge

1997