Rella Stewart

Rella Stewart

June 30, 1930 – December 23, 2025

Rella passed away peacefully the afternoon of December 23, 2025, in the Gables Care Center of Ammon, Idaho, in the arms of her daughter Trudy Williams.

She was born on June 30, 1930, in Salem, Idaho. She is the youngest of 8 children of James Ervin Olsen and Gladys Almina Allen Olsen. She had two brothers, Milton (Betty) & Donald (Naomi) & (Edna). Her five sisters were Bernice (Clayton) Yarber, Clara (Joe) Friedman, Dorothy (Wilford Dixon), (E.W Jake Jacobsen), & (Ray) Luffman, Elaine (Burt Dannenberg) & (Clyde D.) Moss and Donna (Stanley) Welch; who have all passed.

She moved several times in the Teton, Madison County, Idaho area, but did graduate from the Madison County High School in 1930.

She met Gerald Stewart in the Roxy Movie Theater in Teton, Idaho. She was working at the candy counter and Gerald thought she was cute and left the movie to go talk to her. On June 30, 1948, Rella married Gerald John Stewart in the Idaho Falls Temple and made their very humble home in a wooden shed that Gerald had built. When winter came, they had to move to an apartment in St. Anthony, Idaho. Lana was born there.

In 1950, they moved to Stevensville, Montana then Hamilton, Montana, where Gerald managed farms and worked at the Rocky Mountain Research Lab for the U.S. Health Department. Melonie, their second girl, was born in Montana.

They moved to the Lost River Valley in 1953, where Gerald purchased a farm and worked at the then Atomic Energy Commission to support the family. They raised their five children: Lana Sue Stewart, Melonie (Chris) Crnich, Trudy Kay (Brett) Williams, Gerald Craig (Jackie) Stewart and Tauna Lee (Steven) Brewer in the Lost River Valley. Rella is survived by her children, 17 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

Rella loved her babies. She was a good mother. She loved collecting porcelain dolls.

She was an excellent quilter. She knitted sweaters and taught her girls how to knit. She sewed a lot of clothes for her family and taught her girls to sew. 

She also collected antique furniture for her “antique museum”, such as an iron framed bed, peddle sewing machine, cast iron wood burning stove, etc.

She enjoyed her friends and family. She enjoyed playing cards, i.e. Pinochle in her younger years with family and friends during holidays and ‘get to-gethers’. Later in life she played dominos, and Hand & Foot where she became quite accomplished at winning. She worked hard on the farm, especially while Gerald was away working at the Atomic Energy Commission. She irrigated, moved sprinkler pipes, rogued, weeded, watered, picked, sorted, and cut potatoes for seed. She took Craig with her when irrigating when he was little. Once her children were all in school, she first worked at the IGA grocery store where she cut & packaged meat and stocked the shelves. After the IGA store closed, she worked at the A&A store in Arco.

She drove the Butte County school bus for a few years. She also drove a van for the Arco Senior Citizens. She took the seniors to doctor appointments and shopping in Idaho Falls. She also drove them on outings through-out the area. She tried her hand at Wedding Event Planning and Decorating.

She even designed a float for the Arco Parade and had her grandchildren on the float, posing as a bride and groom

She loved gardening, flower gardens and vegetable gardens. We all helped harvest and can the vegetables with her. She drove a flat-bed truck to Montana many summers to pick raspberries for the family to can and for others in the valley who wanted fresh raspberries.

She was very involved in the VFW organization in Arco. She helped with Memorial Day services placing flags on graves for Veteran’s Day, helped with funerals for military veterans, served as VFW president, and participated in many other civic activities. They did service projects with the VFW, i.e. highway cleanup and meals in the park to celebrate veteran events.

She also served as Vice President and President of the PTA for several years. Rella served in many Church callings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Primary, Young Women, and Relief Society programs. In 1979 Gerald retired from the Atomic Energy Commission. This made it possible for him and Rella to spend the cold winter months in warm Quartzsite, Arizona. They bought a Fifth Wheel Camper and spent many winter months making new friends and spending time with Rella’s sister, Elaine and her husband, who lived there as well.

A viewing will be held at the Anderson Family Funeral Home Friday evening, January 2, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. A viewing will be held from 12 noon to 12:45 p.m. before the funeral held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Moore Stake Center, Moore, Idaho, on Saturday, January 3, 2026. The funeral will follow at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 3, 2026. Interment will be in the Lost River Cemetery.