Mary Cage “Kitty” Stevenson

Mrs. Mary Cage “Kitty” Stevenson, age 101, of Blytheville, Arkansas, passed peacefully on Sept. 22, 2019, and is now resting and joyfully worshiping at God’s side. Born in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, in 1917, Kitty lived in Blytheville for 77 years.

As a girl, she was a talented pianist who also was crowned Miss Ruston and went on to become first runner-up to Miss Louisiana.

Kitty held a degree in English from Louisiana Tech University, where she met Jimmy, her husband of 64 years. They loved to travel, sharing many happy anniversaries at her favorite destination, The Cloister at Sea Island, Georgia. They also shared a love for tennis, and they enjoyed making treasured memories with family and friends at their vacation home in Longboat Key, Florida.

Kitty will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother and as a devoted Christian. An active member of the First United Methodist Church, her generosity and love for her church, family, friends and community were beyond measure. She prided herself in her later years as being the oldest living member of her church. She often laughed and said,“Idon’tknowwhy I’m still around here!” and would quickly add, “but I know God has a plan and I am in His hands.” Kitty described her life as blessed, though to all who knew and loved her, she was the true blessing.

Preceded in death by her husband, James Ernest “Jimmy” Stevenson, Jr., Kitty is survived by her daughter, Mary Tarver Koehn, of Flower Mound, Texas and her son, James Ernest “Steve” Stevenson, III and his wife, Sharyn, of Blytheville.

She leaves four grandchildren, Kitty Muskat and her husband, Walter, of Barrington, IL; Kimberly Crawford and her husband, Darren, of Flower Mound, TX; Jim Stevenson and his wife, Suzanne, of Memphis, TN; and Stephanie Hale and her husband, Trey, of Burdette, AR; and eight great-children, Kelly Muskat, Conner and Kathryn Crawford, Taylor, Ainsley, and Campbell Stevenson, and Bo and Kate Hale.