Funeral services were held Saturday, March 3, 2018, at China Lee M. B. Church in Silver Creek for Rev. Charlie Edward Stewart, 72, who died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018, at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson.

Dr. E. J. Earl officiated with interment following in the church cemetery.  Johnson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Rev. Charlie Stewart was born to the late Edward and Hautie Stewart. He joined China Lee M. B. Church where he served as junior deacon, BTU president, assistant Sunday school superintendent and associate minister.

He was called into the ministry in 1969. Rev. Stewart served as pastor of South Spring Hill Baptist Church and St. James Baptist Church in Lawrence County, Harmony Baptist Church in Marion County and J. E. Johnson Church in Prentiss.

He graduated from McCullough High School and attended Prentiss Institute and Alcorn State College where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Science.  He worked with Sophia Sutton as a Headstart teacher. He was employed as a teacher at Topeka-Tilton Junior High from 1971-1996 and retired in 1996.

He came out of retirement to teach at Rod Paige Middle School, 2000-2010.  He was a member of Copiah County Ministerial Alliance, NAACP and HUG’s club.

Rev. Stewart earned an associate degree from the Mississippi Baptist Seminary, Bachelor of Theology from the Harper Baptist Seminary and Doctor of Theology, Specialist of Theology and Master’s of Theology from A. P. Clay Christian Theological Bible College.

He was married to Mary Pearl Cato in 1970, and to this union three children were born.

He was preceded in death by two daughters, Sherrea and Cathy and brother, Robert Ford.

He is survived by wife, Mary Stewart of Silver Creek; daughter, Vanessa (Christopher) DiPasquale of Laurel, Maryland; best friend, Evander Magee of New Orleans, Louisiana and many other relatives and friends.