Sylvia June Stewart

Sylvia "June" Stewart, 91 of Big Level, passed away January 15th, 2026 in Wiggins, MS. She was born on July 12, 1934 in Gulfport, the only child of Rufus Lanier and Ava (Davis) King. June grew up in the Lyman community, an outgoing country girl. She loved flowers and gardening, birds, and playing basketball. She attended school at Lyman and played basketball all the way through. In fact, as a senior playing for Lyman, she was chasing a loose ball and fell into some spectators on the sideline, knocking one of them off the Coke crate he was sitting on and landed on him. Before they got up, he mentioned to her that "This will cost you a date!". Her reply was, "I will be at your cousin's house after the game." Well, June and Hamp Stewart were married just six weeks later and made their home in Lyman where they spent the next 44 years together, until his passing in 1996. A Christian by faith, June was a member at Lyman Baptist Church for many years. She later moved to the Big Level community in 2005 to be near her family, and joined Bethel Baptist Church where she served for many years as well. In her life, June was a homemaker but also continued her avid love of gardening and flowers. In fact, she had her own nursery for several years and her ferns were some of the most sought after in the area. She also loved "thrift" shopping with her best friend Joyce. Most of the time though, June was in her yard making sure everything was to her liking. A loving daughter, wife, mother and grandmother, she will be forever loved and missed by all whose life she touched. She was preceded by her parents, Rufus and Ava King, her husband Hamp Stewart, her great grandson, Kaiden Lee Ellsberry, her shopping buddy Joyce Royals, and her life-long friend, W.F. "Bill" Pierce. Left to cherish her memories are: her daughter Ava (Noel) Ellsberry, and her son Monroe (Maureen) Stewart. June leaves a legacy of four grandchildren: Bryan (Alicia) Ellsberry, Jerrad Ellsberry, Kris (Amy) Stewart, and Karl (Megan) Hager; ten great-grands: Hunter (Destiny), Aaron, Kobe, Evan, Aubree, Carter, Aimlee, Roslyn, Hampton, and Katherine, and two great-great grands, Baylor and Cohen, along with a long list of friends and neighbors through the years. Services will be held Sunday, January 18, 2026 at Trinity Funeral Services in McHenry. The family will receive friends for visitation beginning at 12:30 PM, followed by a chapel service at 1:30 with Bro. Freddie Wegner officiating. Afterward, June will be laid to rest at Ten Mile Baptist Church Cemetery in Perkinston. Trinity Funeral Services is honored to serve the Stewart family in their time of need and asks that you remember them in your thoughts and prayers through the days ahead.