Stella Maynard

Stella Maynard was a very special woman who dedicated her life to her family. Always caring and thoughtful, she found great happiness in the simple pleasures of life, and was always ready to be there for you. Stella had a full, caring heart, and everyone who spent time with her felt the warmth of her presence. Although it fell within the timeframe of World War I, 1916 was a year marked by many great events. While Albert Einstein worked on completing his theory of relativity, Charlie Chaplin was at the height of his fame entertaining wartime audiences as a silent movie star. It was into this heightened world of war and laughter that Carl and Mary (McDonald) Taylor of Grand Rapids, Michigan welcomed the birth of their beautiful daughter, Stella, on August 15, 1916. Stella was the second youngest of four children with two older siblings, Wilford and Helen, and younger brother, Clifford Kip. Stella and her family lived in Baldwin until she was six years old, and then they moved to Muskegon. While her mother was a busy homemaker and volunteer in the community, her father earned a living working for the railroad and later at Continental Motors. Their new home in Muskegon was located by a speak easy, and late one night Stella went to use the outside and encountered a man there, which scared her and she started to scream. Her mother quickly came to her rescue and knocked the man out with one punch. Stella had many happy childhood memories with her family. She fondly remembered tying sleds to the back of the car for some wintertime sledding, and she and her brother used to go to the old abandon opera house in Baldwin and go up on the old stage , performing like they were in a show. Stella attended the Muskegon Public Schools, but left Muskegon High before graduating in order to find full-time work. Two, in fact Stella worked at Hardy-Herpolsheimer and at Kresge. Because she was underage, she had to hide whenever the store manager came around. Stella was in her early 20s when she met the love of her life, Edwin Maynard, who was a Golden Glove Boxer. They first met at a friends party, and Stella knew she was in love from the moment she laid eyes on Edwin. As fate would have it, the two were happily married on November 22, 1939. After saying I do, Stella quit her jobs in order to devote herself to the role of a wife and homemaker. Stella and Edwin werent able to have children of their own, so she showered her attention and love on her nieces and nephews. She and Edwin babysat for them quite a lot and enjoyed every moment with them. Stella loved her family dearly, and together she and Edwin shared 40 great years of marriage. They loved to spend time at their cottage on Crockery Lake, and took many vacations to Mackinac Island, where Edwin was born. At home, the two enjoyed playing cards together, especially rummy, and Stella liked to read and play Bingo too. She had a real soft spot for animals, including birds, wildlife and her beloved Dachshund named Shortie. Although Stellas life was happy, it was also marked by great sorrow when she lost her beloved husband Edwin on May 31, 1979. Stella found great comfort being with her family, and began traveling with her sister and brother-in-law in their motor home. She made several trips to Florida, and even went to Hawaii with her niece. Stella also occupied her time volunteering at her church, Hope Reformed Church, where she was a longtime member. Stella was a wonderful wife, aunt and sister, and will be deeply loved and fondly remembered always. Stella M. Maynard, age 93, of Muskegon, MI died on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. She is survived by her brother, Clifford "Kip" Taylor of FL; sister, Helen Arnold of Muskegon; sisters-in-law, Nell Maynard of Grand Rapids, Rosemarie Maynard of AZ; and many beloved nieces, nephews, great nieces & nephews, great great nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin, in 1979 and her parents, Carl and Mary Taylor. Services will be held on Saturday, March 6, at 3:00 p.m. in the Clock Chapel of Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon with Rev. Steven Hyma officiating. Interment will be in Mona View Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday, March 5, from 6-8 p.m. and on Saturday, 1 hour prior to the service at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to Hope Reformed Church. Please visit Stellas memory page at www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory with her family or sign her online guest book.