Donald Glenn Stewart was born to Glenn Gibson and Sadie Almeda Stewart on September 25, 1922 and grew up in a farming community in Southeast Nebraska. He grew up in a Christian home and gave his life to the Lord at an early age. After graduating from high school at age 16, he attended Tarkio College in Missouri. Don returned to Nebraska to teach for a year in a one room school house and then farmed for seven years with his father.
Don enrolled at Moody Bible Institute where he graduated in 1951 with a major in missions. While at MBI he met and married Shirley Lucille Gamble. They spent a year studying Greek and linguistics at Wheaton College.
Don and Shirley joined Wycliffe Bible Translators, went through SIL training during the summer of 1952 and began serving in Mexico with the Mazahua people. In addition to reducing the Mazahua language to writing, producing literacy materials and Old Testament Bible stories, the New Testament was dedicated in January 1971. Don was instrumental in recruiting the Mazahua people to have a major part in distributing the Word of God including broadcasting it by radio.
Don and Shirley's two children were born in Mexico. Sarah Lucille Stewart Barger has been teaching yough children for more than 20 years and is currently teaching in Van, Texas. Glenn Clark Stewart serves the Lord with his wife, Judy, in Guatemala with CAM International. Don's grandchildren are Ellen Kay, Karen Elizabeth and Gary Glenn.
After a valiant fight against cancer, Shirley passed away in 1990. Four years later Don was united in marriage to Canadian, Viola Reimer, also a member of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Among many other ministries, Viola worked with the Otomi people, a language group related to the Mazahua. Don and Vi were married nearly 14 years together before Don's death. They lived and participated in the Wycliffe community in Dallas, morst recently living at the Cowan Building.
Having suffered from various health problems in recent months Don went to be with the Lord he loved and served Saturday morning, February 16, 2008 from congestive heart failure and complications.
Memorial Services at 7pm Monday, February 18 at the International Linguistic Center, 7500 W. Camp Wisdom Rd. The family suggests memorials be made to Mazahua Literacy through Wycliffe Bible Translators.
II Timothy 2:15
