Sheila Rae Stewart, 78, of Colfax, NC died in her home on December 2, 2024. She was born November 18, 1946, in Parkersburg, WV to Rodney Browning Stewart Sr. and Maggie Ball Stewart. She was the granddaughter of Elwood Stewart & Blanche Sheppard Stewart and Obadiah “Obie” Ball & Nancy Williams Ball.  In addition to her parents and grandparents, she was preceded in death by her brother Rodney “Rod” Stewart Jr. and her beloved miniature dachshund Mr. Bean. 

Raised in Little Hocking, OH, she attended the Center Belpre one room schoolhouse in Porterfield OH and was a proud Golden Eagle graduate of the Belpre High School Class of 1964. While at Belpre High she played saxophone in several different Belpre band ensembles as well as the marching band. 

The majority of her life was spent working in the transportation industry. For the last 35 years, she was a transportation agent in the brick industry. She was known in the business for her honesty and integrity and was affectionately known to all as the Brick Queen. 

She loved fiber arts and blessed many families, friends, and strangers with her cross stitches, hand sewn quilts, and crocheted prayer shawls, hats and blankets. After her second win over cancer, she began crocheting prayer blankets for Dr. Peter Ennever’s patients at the Cone Health Cancer Center in High Point, NC. In total, she made and donated 2,306 prayer blankets and 68 prayer shawls. 

She devoted much time to her 1964 Belpre High School classmates. In the last 15 years, she planned and coordinated class reunions, dinners, maintained the class Facebook page, submitted articles to the Olden Eagle, and worked hard to keep her classmates connected.   

She was a member of the Joseph Kerner Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution through her Revolutionary War soldier ancestor Patriot Jonathan Sheppard. 

She is survived by her daughter, Wende Powell Schneyer and husband Albert; step children Robin Powell Stine and Rick Powell; her sister, Sharon Stewart Zoller and husband John; sister in law Martha Stewart; nephews John Zoller and wife Regina, Mike Zoller and wife Angie; niece Tracina Stewart; great nephews Jim & Trevor Zoller; step grandchildren Heather Church and Joseph Powell; neighbors Glen & Crystal Newton who she considered family; many truck drivers, dispatchers, and customers who became dear friends; and a lot of bonus kids who always considered her the “cool” mom. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to either the Belpre High School Alumni Association c/o BHSAA, PO Box 747, Belpre OH 45714 or the Porterfield Community Association c/o Dena Watson, 205 Oxbow Road, Belpre OH 25714.

Celebration of Life services will be held in NC and OH in January 2025, dates to be determined. Per her wishes, Miss Stewart was cremated, and she will be interred at Rockland Cemetery in Belpre OH. 

Friends and family may offer online condolences at www.piercejeffersonfh.com