Ben Ella (Milner) Stewart, 87 of Big Spring, died June 14, 2023, at her home after a lengthy illness. A Celebration of Life was on June 22, at Spring Creek Fellowship with Derrick Looney and Lloyd Wells, officiating. She was born Sept. 21, 1935, in Sidney, to parents Carl Milner and Veda (Jones) Milner. She graduated early from Joshua High School in 1953 and then started working for an insurance company in Ft. Worth. At age 18, she married the love of her life, Bob Stewart, May 14, 1954. She moved to San Diego with Bob, while he served in the United States Marine Corps. They moved to Big Spring in 1956 and she then began to work for attorney, Grover Cunningham, where he taught her how to be a legal secretary. From there, in 1960, she went to work for attorney’s R.H. Weaver and John Ferguson as a legal secretary and office manager. She was always very dedicated to her work. In 1980, she went to work for Kimble Guthrie Oil & Gas and remained loyal to them.
She loved playing bridge in her younger years and was a member of the Eastern Star. She and Bob and friends played in a band all around West Texas for many years. They enjoyed golfing and country and western dancing. They truly danced their way around the world. They also traveled internationally with the Shriners and supported the Shriners Children’s Hospital. They especially enjoyed supporting their daughter’s and husbands educational non-profit “LIT BUS” for children’s education. She also served as chairman for United Way of Big Spring.
She and her husband Bob were founding members of Spring Creek Fellowship which they were most proud of.
She is survived by one daughter Teresa Griffin and husband Bill and grandson Nick and wife Rene Griffin and two great grandsons Gabriel and Jacob; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins along with three brothers-in-laws Don Stewart, Guy Stewart, and W. L. Nowell.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers Wade Milner and Garret Milner and one sister Pearl Milner Bransom.
Arrangements were under the directions of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home and Crematory.