Stella Conaway

October 28, 1925 - February 28, 2019

Stella Conaway of Salem, Missouri passed away on Thursday, February 28, 2019 at the Salem Care Center in Salem, Missouri at the age of 93. Stella was born on October 28, 1925 in rural Dent County to the late Willie P. and Dolly Avis (Cole) Gorman. Stella Gorman was united in marriage to Robert Conaway SR on October 2, 1943 this union was blessed with six children. Robert and Stella bought a little farm outside of town and raised their children and a big and bountiful garden every spring; she and the kids would get out and weed the garden everyday. Stella was always proud when the garden was ready to pick, she and the girls would freeze and can everything the garden produced so that the family would have fresh vegetables, jams, and jellies all year; along with the vegetables Stella also canned deer meat, crappie, and trout; she also raised her own chickens. Stella attended church when ever she could, she enjoyed services at the Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist, and also the Salem Faith Assembly. Stella worked in the local sewing factories for many years to help support her family. Whenever they could get away from the farm work, they would all pile in the car to go to the river, she loved to canoe, fish, and really enjoyed giging. Stella was a wonderful cook and the family looked forward to getting a picnic together and meeting other family members for a picnic at Montauk or the Current river. She was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Stella Conaway is survived by her children, Junior Conaway and wife Carol, of Salem, MO, Sue Johns and husband Gary, of Salem, MO, Hazel Nelson and husband Ronald, of Salem, MO, Ruth Noel, of Huckley IA, and Judy Conaway, of Salem, MO; sister, Dorothy Dykhouse, of Mountain Home, AR; 12 grandchildren, a host of great and great-great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. In addition to her parents Willie and Dolly Gorman, Stella was preceded in death by her husband Robert Conaway JR; son, Bobby Ray Conaway; grandson, Gary Johns, 3 sisters, and two brothers. Funeral services for Stella Conaway will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Salem Chapel of the James & Gahr Mortuary at 12:00PM. Internment will be at the North Lawn Cemetery in Salem. A visitation for family and friends will be held at the Chapel on Saturday prior to the service from 10Am until service time.