Charmion Stewart

Charmion Venita Hanson was born May 14, 1918, in Oneida, Iowa, the youngest of five children of Bertel Kris and Thea Olive (Bang) Hanson.

She grew up in Oneida with her siblings, Rose, Pearl, Ruby, and Otis. Charm attended school in Oneida where she was active in basketball and music. She graduated from Oneida High School in 1935.

Her family owned the barber shop in Oneida, that later included a general store, hardware store and pool hall. Her father also sold ice that he would harvest from the creek near Oneida. Charm had lots of opportunities to practice playing pool, and became quite a pool shark.

Her father passed away in 1936, leaving Charm and her mother to run the store. Charm then had to learn to change the oil in cars and to pump gas.

In 1939, Charm married Burton Stephenson. The couple bought the store's inventory and ran it for about three years. At that time, Charm's mother sold the building, so the couple purchased a grocery store in Arlington, Iowa. Charm ran the store by herself while Burton was away in the service. Burton and Charm were the parents of one daughter, Natalie.

After Burton's death in 1951, Charm moved with her mother and Natalie to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where she worked for the Montgomery Ward Catalog Store.
In 1953, Charm was married to Morris Stewart. She then purchased the franchise for the Mode-O-Day store in Council Bluffs, where she worked for about ten years. She then became a field representative for the American Cancer Society until her retirement in 1988. She was dedicated to finding a cure for cancer.

She was a member of the Eastern Star in Atlantic and Marne, Iowa, playing the piano for all the meetings, and was a member of a woman's bowling league.

Charm will be dearly missed by her friends who will remember her as always smiling, upbeat, looking for the good in life. She loved people and loved to dance and party in the highest heels possible. She loved to travel, taking many cruises with her friends, Bernita Grimm and Marlys Hoines. She also enjoyed driving with her companion, Mr. Bones, a life size doll dressed in surgeon's attire. Charm supported the Cyclones, but she was a true Hawkeye fan, especially enjoying watching Hawkeye basketball.

She is survived by her nephews, Frank Hanson of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and Bert Robinson of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; her grandnieces, Karen and Cynthia Robinson of Shreveport, Louisiana; her step-grandchildren, Sid (Marcy) Blake of Avoca, Iowa, George (Cathy) Blake of Elwood, Kansas, Dan (Jan) Blake of Shambaugh, Iowa, and Scott (Niki) Blake of King City, Missouri; other relatives; and many, many friends.

Charmion was preceded in death by her parents, B.K. and Thea Hanson; her husbands, Burton Stephenson and Morris Stewart; her daughter, Natalie Blake, her son-in-law, Merle Blake; and her long time companion, dog Zsa Zsa.

Memorial services will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2010, at 11:00 a.m. at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa.

Burial of cremated remains will be at a later date in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Memorials may be made in Charm's name to the Cass County Unit of the American Cancer Society, 1500 E. 10th Street, Atlantic, Iowa, 50022, attention: Carole Schuler.


Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa, is in charge of the arrangements.