Maude E. Stewart

“Maude E. Stewart, 88, formerly of Academy Street, Kingston, died Tuesday at the Paul Kimble Memorial Hospital, Lakewood.

Born in York, Pa., she was a resident of Kingston for more than 50 years.

Widow of Benjamin A. Stewart, she is survived by a son, Benjamin R. of Kingston; a son, Thomas C. of Lake Park, Fla.; a daughter, Evelyn Barnes of Middlesex; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren

Graveside services will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Mount Rose Cemetery, York.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Somerset Crippled Children’s Treatment Center, P.O. Box 6824, Bridgewater, N.J.

Arrangements are under the direction of A.S. Cole Funeral Home, Cranbury.”

Source: The Trentonian, Trenton, NJ, Wednesday, 8 June 1983.

This simple obituary for Maude Elizabeth Eisenberger Stewart, reflects the quiet and sedate life of a lady that believed in the three F’s:  Faith, Family, and Friends. Since her middle name, and maiden name, both started with the initial “E” she was often called Maude E. She died on 7 June 1983. She was a member of the Kingston Methodist Church, in Kingston, NJ, from the time she first moved there from York City, PA, after her marriage to Ben Stewart in 1916. In Kingston she raised her three children, and helped out at her church, and also the Kingston Ladies Auxiliary of Volunteer Fire Company 1.

The Stewart family lived next door to their business, the Kingston Garage, and Maude made it her concern to make sure everyone had a good lunch, including the homeless men that lived near the railroad. Her favorite recipes were the old Pennsylvania Dutch ones of her family.  Maude had a large garden and she canned vegetables, made up fruit preserves, homemade root beer, and if she didn’t have the money for something, she did without. Later, after her husband’s retirement, she spent many years living in Riviera Beach, Florida, choosing to stay there in their trailer home after his death.

After her husband, Ben, died in 1968 she picked out a simple grave marker for their plot at Mount Rose Cemetery, in Section “E”. The inscription Together Forever and a Mason logo and an Eastern Star logo are the only additions to their names and dates of birth and death.

Here are two photographs of Maude – one taken when she was a young girl – and the other one a few years before her death. Quite often a person’s image changes drastically as they age, but I don’t think that’s the case with Maude. She was a true beauty her entire life.

~ Maude Eisenberger photo credit unknown – taken in York City, PA late 1890s

~ Maude E. Stewart – photo taken by Evelyn S. Barnes