This grandfather, John Stewart, was born in North River, Prince Edward Island, Canada on the 20th day of November in 1851. I vividly remember the day that I learned about this man because my mother-in-law, Mildred Stewart Shepard, was excited to present me with her father's Naturalization papers to add to my genealogy files. This was a new kind of record for me to study and learn from. And so, I admit that John Stewart became one of my more colorful characters in my genealogical pursuits.
John lived with his parents and family until he was 23 and married Annie Marie Comerford. It appears that John and Annie may have lived in Windsor, Nova Scotia in the first years of their marriage. They had three children, a boy and two girls. By December 1884, the family seems to be living in Golden, Jefferson, Colorado where John signed papers for his "Declaration of Intent", a prerequisite before a foreigner can earn his Naturalization. See some of the words of this document below....
John Stewart declared: "here in open Court, upon oath, that he will support the constitution of the United States, and that he doth absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity and every Foreign power, Prince, Potentate, State or Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the Queen of Great Britain & Ireland of whom he was heretofore a subject. It is therefore ordered and adjudged by the Court that the said John Stewart," [ etc.]
According to John's side of the story, his wife, Annie deserted him, taking the two eldest children with her. He was given custody of the 12 year old, Isabella. John went to court to get a divorce which was granted him in October 1892, at age 40.
In October 1894, John received his citizenship papers. The Denver city directories and census records list John as a painter for two different Rail Road Companies, from 1889 to 1898...the D.U. and Pacific R.R. and the B&M R.R. He met Edith Anna Dickinson through a good friend, Edith's father, Cyrus Dickinson. Edith was a great deal younger than John but she wanted to marry and care for John Stewart. The marriage took place on Christmas Day, December 1901. John was 50, Edith was 20. They had two beautiful daughters, Mildred and Dorothy.
Sadly, John died on the 15th day of May in 1904 and was buried at the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver. He was only 53 years old.
JOHN STEWART
BORN: 20 May 1851 in North River, Prince Edward Island, Canada
MARRIED: 1) 20 Sep 1875 in Charlottesville, P.E.I., Canada
2) 25 Dec 1901 in Denver, Arapahoe, CO
DIED: 15 May 1904 in Denver, Arapahoe, CO
BURIED: Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Arapahoe, CO
SOURCES: John Stewart's Naturalization Papers; Census Records of North River, PEI, Canada 1851, 1861, 1871 and Denver, CO 1870-1910; Denver City Directories 1884-1910; Interviews with Mildred Stewart Shepard at my home in Coos Bay, OR.
