Betty Meador Stewart

March 23, 1928 – August 3, 2022

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Betty Meador Stewart passed away Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Funeral services will be held at Sonora Cemetery at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2022.

Betty was born March 23, 1928 in Dallas, Texas, to Harry and Emma Meador. Along with her parents and brother, Wallace, she spent her youth in Dallas and attended Highland Park schools.

She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1945. Although she lived in the city, her heart was in the country. She stabled horses in Dallas and became an accomplished rider at a young age. She spent Saturday afternoons at the movies watching westerns and dreaming of a country life.

After graduating high school, Betty took a trip to Lubbock to visit Texas Tech University. She ultimately headed even further west to Sul Ross University in Alpine where she became one of the first female members of the rodeo team. It was also at Sul Ross where she met G.W. (Bill) Stewart. They married on May 5, 1950.

After graduating with an animal husbandry degree, she and Bill moved to his family ranch in Sutton County, where Betty began to fulfill her dreams. Betty thrived as a rancher, and in 2007 she and Bill were named NRCS Conservation Rancher of the Year in 2007 alongside Bill. When she moved to the ranch Betty brought her two horses, Rowdy and Cheyenne. She continued to practice her passion of horsemanship for decades thereafter, eventually passing those skills on to her children.

She traveled to many rodeos, 4-H playdays and trail rides as an inspiration and a leader. When her children left for college, and the horse and angora goat projects were left in the barns, Betty took the registered angora goat herd and built one of the most respected in the nation. She made sure it was a family affair and provided excellent quality goats for her grandchildren to show.
She also loved her herds of cattle and meat goats, and always had a dog or two in the truck with her. She was known as a friend of all animals, adopting her latest companion, Ruby, after rescuing her from the roadside.

The Stewart family has been active in St. John’s Episcopal Church since the mid-1950’s where Betty was well known for her quick wit and hot hominy.
Betty’s true legacy are her children: daughter Susan Mason and husband Steve, daughter Billie Ann Harrell, son Michael Stewart, and daughter Julie Walther and husband Michael.

She loved being “Nanny” to her grandchildren: Will Harrell and Bonnie, Cody Mason and Ashley, Katy Crain and Quincy, Jett Mason and fiancé Morgan, Laura Hernandez and Reggie, Sheridan Walther and Tyler Walther.
Just when Betty thought it couldn’t get any better, she became a great grandmother to Armer, Ealen and Quinn Crain, Sutton and Lilly Mason, Max Hernandez, and Shelby, Bailey, Macey and Reece McWhorter.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Bill; their infant daughter, Linda; her parents, Harry and Emma; and her brother, Wallace and sister-in-law Jean.

Betty’s family would like to thank her special caregivers and friends: Maria Galindo, Lidia and Ruben White, Juanita Hernandez, Edna Lopez, Mary Lou Creek, Adrian Mata, Juan Patino and Maria Aguilar.

We are also grateful for the care provided by Dr. Charles Pajestka, Diana Arteaga and the staff of Lillian M. Hudspeth Memorial Hospital.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church or your local pet shelter.

Online condolences may be made at lovefuneralhome.net.