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SLUG 0 9 0 7BC-KS-PAN--Heart

Revival

Couple meets again So years later BYLINE

By BRIAN WILLIAMS/The Ottawa Herald DECK

EXCERPT

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Editor: SarahD.

AWA, I(un.kep) | It's not exactlypuppylove.

Although, it may seemlike it is for two Ottawa High Schoolalumni. "We feel like we're 15,"Joan Stone,68, of rural Waverly, said. In November, she plans to wed GeorgeStewart, 78, oflar.r'rence. It's not as if they are strangers,they'vejust taken the scenicroute to each other. They both attendedthe sameone-room schoolhouse,Latimer School,south of Ottawa on Rock Creek Road. They FCIttlutt".tded the same church and belongedto the Jayhawker 4-H Club. "we did a lot of hangingout as a group," said stone, whosefamily moved about one-eighthmile eastof the schoolin March Lg49,whenshewas in first grade. "My earliestmemoriesof Georgewere of him singing," Stonesaid. He sang at both their school and their church, which was acrossthe street from the

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school. She also heard a lot about Stewart, the oldest of five, from his younger siblings. "Jack alwaystalked about Georgewith this adoring voice," she said about his younger brother who was her age."I had enormous respectfor him becauseof that." "I remember her as the little girl who lived dornmthe road," Stewart, whose family moved acrossthe road from the school in r93r, when he was nine months old, said. After graduating from Ottawa High Schoolin 1948, Stewart married Donna Cartmill and farmed for awhile before attending Ottawa University to study music education. Challengeswith the piano led him to J.C. Penney'swhere he worked at the Ottawa, Lar,r'rence and Independence,Mo.,locations until tg6z. "I moved to Lawrencewithout a job, four kids and a lot of faith," Stewart said. Within five days, Stewart had two part-time positions at the University of Kansas including one as an accountantwith the endor,trynent association. Thosetenuous beginnings evolved into a 33-year tenure with the KU Endor,',.rynent Association,which ended with his retirement as vice-president in 1995. Stone,who's maiden name *ur Ftr" fott t"tboan Hay, graduated from Ottawa High Schoolin 1959.Her path led her to Robert "Bob" Stone,whom she married in 1968. They moved to StoneMountain, G&.,just outsideof Atlantain tg7o. After about 15years of work in broadcast media, she turned her home into an eco-friendly farm and raised registered dairy goats and then golden retrievers. "I've never been afraid to try anything," Stone said. Aboutfiveyearsago,Stone'shusband.toldherthathe*u'@ l""g*ldying and wanted to take her back to where her friends and famrly were, -""h she said. started eeting a few old friends ether coffee grew into yearly reunions at Pomona Lake, which Ffrutlstotte and her husband would drive in their RV

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In zoo6, they moved to a farm in rural Waverly near the OsageCounty line.

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The summer reunions at Pomona Lake continued and Stone'sold classmate.Jack Stewart, was a regular attendee. In zoo8, he askedStoneif he could bring his brother, George,who had lost his wife of nearly 59 years in May to Parkinson's disease,along with him. "I said, 'I can't seewhy not. He was part of the community too, bring him, by all meansr"'shesaid. "We met for the first time in 5o years at least," Stone said. "The last time I remember seeinghim, he was the assistantmanager at the Penney'sstore in Ottawa." After the reunion, Stone remembers her husband, Bob, telling her that he thought Georgewas a nice guy. A few weekslater, Bob passedaway. When Stewart found out he sent her a condolencecard and a Christmas card followed soon after. Theybegane-mailing eachother back and forth. "It was good to have one another to walk through the grieving processonline," Stone said. "It was good to have someoneto share that with who understood what you were going through." After months of talking online and counseling and catching other on their lives for the past 50 years,they decided to go for coffeeafter a church meeting. Mother Nature had other plans. An ice storm canceledchurch and their time to talk face-to-face. "Georgesaid he wasn't going to acceptthat and e-mailed back with other dates to meet," Stonesaid with a huge smile. They agreedon a time and then not only had coffee,but wine, dinnerfi and talked for hours as well. "We had so much fun, we did it again the next duy," she said. They began seeingeach other almost every other day for severalmonths until April when Stewart stopped in to seeStone on his wayto visit his daughter in Newton. Before leaving he askedher what she would say if he askedher to marry him.

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"I told him that I would probably say,'Yes,"'shesaid. When he returned a few days later, he was talking about things they would do when they were married, Stone said. "I said, 'Wait, you haven't asked me yet,' and then I could seethe cogsturning as he was remembering our conversation," Stone said. "Shewouldn't let me get away without saylng it," he said with a smile. Although their paths to each other have been unconventional, neither would choosea detour. "I think the neat part of our relationship is we both loved our mates, and we have no difficulty discussingthem," Stewart said. "I think it's a neat thing to be able to do that." Stoneagrees. "Georgeand Donna had a good marriage.Bob and I had a good marriage,"Stonesaid. "I still love Bob. He still lovesDonna." "Love expandsand love grows and this is good," she said. When tr)'rng to put her and George'srelationship into perspective,she looked to her experienceas a mother. "It's like when you have a baby and you think you'll never love anything as much. Then you have another and you love it just as much. You don't stop loving the other one. t t

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