Jewett, Stephen S. - 1940-2012

CORELLA, COWAN, CROW, JEWETT, LANGE, LITTLE, MILLER, PARKS

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 8/26/2024 at 12:50:38

Stephen S. Jewett M.D., age 71 of Centerville, Iowa, passed away Thursday, June 21, 2012 at his home.
Dr. Jewett was born on September 8, 1940, in Freeport, Illinois, the son of Norman and Ethelyn Jewett, and was raised in nearby Mt. Morris, where his father owned a barbershop. He was married to Mary Parks and they later divorced. He married Beverly Crow Little March 18, 1971, and she survives.
After graduating in 1958, he accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Drake University in Des Moines,
Dr. Jewett was an avid outdoorsman. When not at his clinic or at the hospital, he could usually be found working on farmland he owned south of Centerville. There he enjoyed the hard work of raising cattle and tending to crops, or the mundane chores of repairing fences. Later in life he developed a fondness for classic and antique tractors, buying, restoring and using them for farm work or in parades.
Dr. Jewett served as a host several times for the Iowa Governor's Hunt. Hunters also knew him from his staunch support of activist groups including Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. Among his other interests, Dr. Jewett was a lifelong fan of the Chicago White Sox, had a strong interest in the history of World War II, collected old coins and enjoyed classical music, particularly the works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He also had a fondness for sports cars, owning Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Corvettes.
Graduating from Drake in 1962 with a bachelor's degree in biology, Dr. Jewett enrolled in the medical school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1966, he graduated from Creighton with a medical degree and returned to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines for his one year internship. Dr. Jewett was sent home from Vietnam in October 1968. He completed the second year of his service at Fort Riley in Kansas.
Dr. Jewett was sent to Vietnam in November 1967 and was assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade at Dak To in the country's Central Highlands. He arrived in the middle of weeks of fierce fighting in the region. Dr. Jewett was aboard the last helicopter to land at Hill 875 on November 19. There wouldn't be another helicopter at the hill for three days. Dr. Jewett's family would not hear from him for six weeks. While on Hill 875, Dr. Jewett was caught amid one of the worst friendly-fire incidents of the war. He recalled: "The enemy attacked us every night. I had eleven badly wounded casualties that I was trying to keep alive. On the second night one of the planes dropped a bomb too soon (it exploded above the troops' position) and killed all those soldiers I'd been trying to save." Two months later, Dr. Jewett found himself in the middle of the Tet Offensive, being sent into the grounds of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon to help with the cleanup. The war left him with damaged hearing and achy knees.
Dr. Jewett served as chief of staff and emergency room director at St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital several times during his career, and sat on the medical staff quality committee. He was considered one of the hospital's triage experts, and sat on the hospital's board of directors for nine years.
For years he joined other doctors in the community to provide sports physicals to high school students. Along with his wife, Beverly, he has been a supporter of maintaining the town's recreational facilities, in particular the swimming pool.
Dr. Jewett is survived by his wife, Beverly, of Centerville; children, Dale (Kelly) Jewett of Detroit, Dr. Kathy (Tom) Lange of Centerville, David (Toni) Jewett of Phoenix, Barbara (Armando) Corella of Phoenix, Todd Jewett of Centerville, Haley (Brian) Cowan of Centerville and Jon (Lori) Jewett of Seymour; a sister, Linda (Rodney) Miller of Mt. Morris, Illinois; his first wife, Mary Jewett of Cottonwood, Arizona; 15 grandchildren, Justin (Michelle) Lange of Johnston, Iowa, Ben (Sheree) Lange of Centerville, James (Nicole) Lange of West Des Moines, Iowa, Maddison Lange of Centerville, Michael and James Jewett of Detroit, Justin and Riley Jewett of Seymour, Jace Jewett of Ogden, Utah, Makenzie, Tayler, and Nicholas Jewett of Centerville, Cody, Sammi, and Colton Cowan of Centerville; and three great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Camden Lange of Johnston, Iowa and Oliver Lange of West Des Moines, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Ethelyn Jewett.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Friday, June 29, 2012 at St. Mary's Catholic Church with Fr. Dennis Schaab officiating. Speakers will be Pastor Brian Hargrave, Linda Staggs and Mike O'Connor. Friends may call all day Thursday at the Lange Funeral Home & Crematory, Centerville. The family will be present from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral Home to visit with friends. Entombment will be in the Oakland Cemetery, Centerville.
A memorial has been established to Mercy Hospital Obstetrics or Hospice of Central Iowa and may be left or mailed to the Lange Funeral Home & Crematory, 1900 South 18th St., Centerville, Iowa 52544. Condolences may be left at www.langefh.com.
Published in Des Moines (IA) Register; Monday, June 25, 2012, page 7A