A. Mardelle Stewart

Avis Mardelle Stewart of Brooklyn Heights, New York, the daughter of Flossie and Wallace Stanley, passed away Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at her home in Brooklyn, N.Y. at the age of 94 years, 5 months, 23 days. Mardelle was born April 29, 1925 on her parents’ farm near Hamlin, Iowa. She graduated from Audubon High School with the Class of 1943. Following high school, Mardelle worked at the Audubon News Advocate and Audubon State Bank.
Mardelle married Wayne Stewart on November 2, 1946. Audubon was home to them until 1991 when they built a home in Sun City West, Arizona and began splitting their time between Sun City West and their summer home on Lake Panorama, Iowa. Following Wayne’s death in 1994, Mardelle moved to Sun City West year-round. In 2011, she finally agreed to her daughters’ invitation to move to Brooklyn Heights where Marla and Jennifer lived. Mardelle’s apartment was just three blocks from each daughter’s home.
Mardelle was an excellent seamstress and sewed throughout her lifetime. From a very young age she showed a talent for sewing. Her love of sewing enabled her to create school wardrobes for her three children; make drapes for the family’s home; bedeck her husband in finely tailored suits; fill her own closet with a host of beautiful outfits; send her oldest daughter, Marla, down the wedding aisle in a Mardelle Stewart original; and make wonderful aprons and comforting quilts for her Brooklyn neighbors, family and friends.
Mardelle loved to travel. She organized many great family vacations. Mardelle and Wayne traveled extensively while Wayne served as President of the National Auctioneers Association. Following Wayne’s passing, Mardelle and her children traveled broadly. There were leisurely beach holidays in Hawaii, Antigua and Costa Rica, plus active hiking trips in Africa, Vietnam, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Ireland and France. Mardelle loved those far-flung journeys and was a great enthusiast when it came to exploring new places. Yet, she never lost her love of Iowa and her desire to return to her hometown of Audubon.
Mardelle is survived by her three children: Marla Stewart (Wayne Svoboda) of Brooklyn, NY; Bill Stewart (Laura Stewart) of Surprise, AZ; and Jennifer Stewart of Brooklyn, NY. Other survivors include grandchildren Natasha Kading of Clive, IA and Justin Stewart of Iowa City, IA; a sister-in-law and several nieces and nephews.
Mardelle was preceded in death by her husband of nearly forty-eight years, Wayne; her parents, Flossie and Wallace Stanley; and her brother, Marvin Stanley.
Visitation will be from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, October 30, 2019 at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Kathy Kluis at 10:30 a.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home. Interment will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery alongside her husband, Wayne Stewart. The Family will meet with fiends at St. Patrick’s Parish Center, 102 Market Street in Audubon following the committal service. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Friendship Home in Audubon or Hospice of Iowa.