Elton-A Mass of Christian burial honoring Vera Belle Joubert Stewart, 86, will be held at 11 o'clock a.m. on Saturday May, May 17, 2025, at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Elton. Rev. Fr. Jose Vattakunnel will officiate. Vera will be laid to rest at St. Joseph Cemetery in Elton immediately following her services.

Vera's family will receive friends and visitors at St. Paul's Catholic Church in Elton on Saturday morning, May 17, 2025, from 9 o'clock a.m. until time of service with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 10:30 a.m.  All of Vera's arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Ardoin Funeral Home of Elton.

Vera Belle Joubert Stewart was born on a beautiful spring day, on April 1, in 1939, in Elton, Louisiana.  She grew up back on the "Old Place," as it is affectionately called by the family, where she lived with her Mama (Tanceanna), Daddy (Jeffery), her nine brothers and one sister.  Vera loved the beauty in nature and enjoyed played basketball with her brothers. This is where she garnered some of her best ball playing skills and used them while playing basketball in high school. Vera had a real 'mean set shot' which made her a strong competitor on the court, but once she began to realize that she was more needed at home, she selflessly traded in her basketball for helping her Mama at home with any and every way possible with her younger siblings, chores, and housework. Family, Love, Truth & Compassion are the core values that were instilled in Vera, while she also embraced a very strong work-ethic, as well.  She had her first job, at the age of 15, while maintaining her impressive high GPA, as she would study by oil lamp, up into the wee hours of the night. She earned the dubious Honor of being Valedictorian of her graduating class at Katy B. Thomas High in 1959, where she went onto Chicago, IL to study Nursing.  Soon after becoming a Nurse, Vera met the love of her life, Joe Stewart Sr, from Alton, IL, and the rest was history! They were married and had begun their own little family in Chicago, IL beginning by having their first born, Tanceana, their only son Joe Joe, the late precious Samantha, and their baby girl, Suzanne.  Vera always had a genuine heart and sincere passion to Help Those Who Could Not Help Themselves. She worked as a Nurse at Oak Forest Hospital in Oak Forest, IL and St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights, IL for over 20 years, before they moved their family to Elton, LA in 1979, where she began working for Jennings American Legion Hospital for the next 25+ years, when she retired from nursing. Vera enjoyed writing poems and actually had a few of them published! She enjoyed and was excellent at sewing, cooking, canning, gardening, and simply sharing her love, laughter, and wisdom with any and everyone who took the time to get to know her and be around her.  Vera was a Jewel and many of the nuggets that she was able to share with those around her that would ask for advice, were simply PRICELESS. Vera Belle was a True Expression of the Love of Jesus Christ in All that she did and said and imparted to those of us whom she poured into. May she rest in Perfect Peace.

Those left to cherish Vera's memory include one son, Joe Louis Stewart Jr., two daughters, Tanceana Reynard, and husband Kenneth Sr., and Suzanne Stewart; four brothers, Effery Joubert, Luke Joubert, and wife Dena, Sostan Joubert and wife Jennifer, and John Joubert, two sisters, Ethel Joubert Shallow and husband Jimmy and Wilma Joubert; two bonus sisters-in-love, Lorraine Joubert and Mae Joubert; three grandchildren, April Reed, Kenneth Reynard Jr. and wife Lela, and Michael Reynard, five great grandchildren, Ariya Murphy, Samia Ceasar, Alayna Reed, Kenneth Reynard lll, and Kheltyn Reynard; and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

Vera is preceded in death by her husband, Joe Louis Stewart Sr.; her parents, Jeffery and Tanceanna Rideaux Joubert; one daughter, Samantha Jana Stewart; five brothers, James, Wilmer, Hillary Sr., Jasper, and Jeffery Jr. Joubert; and one grandson who was raised as her loving son, Justin Keith Stewart.

Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be shared with Vera's family at www.ardoinfuneralhome.com or on Facebook-Ardoin/Allen Parish Funeral Homes.