Mary Stewart
She was not only my aunt but also my partner in crime. She took me to ridding lessons when she was into Arabian Horses we would go to horse shows after she broke her hip being thrown from a horse. she got into spinning and natural dying. She taught me how to spin and also helped me build my own spinning wheel. We started spinning on display at uncle Donald’s farm when they would have events then we started going up to the southeastern youth fair in Ocala we would be there the whole week. I would demonstrate a drop spindle. She also visited schools and taught how to spin to the students I think they just loved the fluffy angora rabbit on her lap that she would pluck from and spin. I would help her find identity and collect natural dyes that she would use on wool. She used every thing from bugs, plants, flowers,lichens, mushrooms and even urine one time only. We even spun at Baker house in wildwood. She also got into birding especially bluebirds because they were in decline at that time she hand sawed and assembled over 200 bluebird nest boxes on the farm. She would keep meticulous records on if a nest was started to how many eggs laid and how many babies fledged. I would warn her to look out for snakes and she said they better look out for me. Most years I would drive her around to each box to monitor them. I would build a nest in one and put Robinson’s candied eggs in it so she would open the box and see yellow pink and blue eggs and I would hear her say MARY you got me again. She also got into butterflies especially monarchs I would help her find and collect caterpillars then she would raise and release them. She would even share some with teachers so that students could watch the miracle of a caterpillar turning into butterflies. I look back and see how much trust she had in me because she handed me her truck keys when I was nine to drive her around the farm she was born and lived on. I am so thankful for everything I learned from her. I appreciate the littlest things around me because of what I learned from her. She was also involved in the Sumter County cattlewoman association.
