Miriam Elizabeth Stewart Dayton
The life of Miriam Elizabeth Stewart Dayton, 71, was celebrated Tuesday, December 8th, at Hill Crest Memorial Chapel, in Haughton. Following the service, she was taken home to Rocky Mount Hill, and laid to rest, beside her husband, in the family plot at Rocky Mount Cemetery. For the past two years Miriam struggled with complications from heart disease. She fought as long as she could, but after finally finding peace and in the arms of family, her heart took its final beat on December 3rd, just three days shy of her 72 birthday.
Miriam was born on December 6th, 1948, in Plain Dealing, Louisiana to parents Levi Aubrey Stewart and Maggie “Bette” Bounds Stewart. Her brother, Larry Arnold Stewart was born 13 months later. She was the first grandchild for both her paternal grand-parents Bessie and Levi A. Stewart and maternal grandparents Sallie and William Howard Bounds.
Miriam grew up in Rocky Mount and graduated from Rocky Mount High School in 1968. During school she was active in FHA, 4-H and played basketball. She also participated in several FFA and Livestock Show events alongside her uncle, Gilford P. Stewart, who was a FFA / Biology teacher. Following high school, Miriam attended Airline Junior College, where she studied English / Secondary Education.
Miriam worked several jobs throughout her career and lived in both Texas and Louisiana, until 1978 when she met her husband, Thomas Paul Dayton. The two were introduced through mutual friend Sandy Rumsey and married in Marshall, Texas. Miriam took over helping Tommy run his business, Tommy Dayton Enterprises LLC, until the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Faye in May 1980.
Upon the birth of their first and only child, the couple was determined that being a female had no disadvantage over being a male and rebranded the business to Tommy Dayton and Daughter Enterprises, where Miriam served as Vice-President and oversaw all management of the company. The decision was seen as a bold move in 1980, for a company which dealt with different aspects of the trucking industry. The businesses ranged from towing and recovery, a 24-hour road service, parts and tire shop, corporate consulting and even interests in truck stops. The company held several service contracts for regional trucking companies such as AJF/ Rentco, Yellow Truck Lines, P.I.E. and ran shop management over Bowman Transportation’s Shreveport hub. In 1989, Tommy decided to retire, and Miriam downsized the business, and became owner and president of a new 24-hour road service venture, E & M Dayton Road Service, named after her and her daughter, until 1991.
Miriam was a devoted mother, to her only child, active in Summer Grove PTA and school functions, as well as in the Dixie Diamond Marching Group, where her daughter was a twirler for several years.
In 1992, Miriam took over running her Uncle Gilford’s farm, following his death, where she raised a variety of goats. She had much fun in this venture and loved the hobby and day to day venture.
The birth of her grandsons, Charles Brett, followed by his brother Lakota Aubrey five years later gave Miriam her most faithful and devoted role, as that of a grandmother. They would partake in several adventures, traveling and camping. She was so proud of being able to watch them graduate from high school, as recent turns in her health left her unsure if she would make Lakota’s in January 2020.
During her life, Miriam traveled extensively throughout lower and upper North America, despite not ever flying on a plane until she was 67 years-old. She lived briefly in Cloudcroft, New Mexico and traveled regularly to Ouray, Colorado. When she was 49, she decided to go on an extensive trip for her 50th birthday, driving all the way from Louisiana, through Canada, to Alaska and back. During this trip Miriam was able to travel to and participated at the International Wolf Institute in Minnesota, to which she was an active member. She was an avid wildlife enthusiast and belonged to many nature societies but her greatest passion was the survival of the North American wolf population. It was during this trip, Miriam showed her most perseverance. While in Minnesota, she suffered a mild heart attack and was hospitalized for a week in Minneapolis. She refused to come home and after resting up, continued with her drive on into Canada and across to Alaska.
Miriam is preceded in death by her husband Tommy, her parents, her uncle Gilford Stewart, her uncle Julius Stewart and his wife Ruth, their son and her first cousin, Benjamin Stewart, her uncle William Henry Bounds, her aunt Sara Bounds Peace and her husband Marion Dale Peace.
Miriam is survived by: her daughter, Elizabeth Dayton Morace and husband Paul, her brother Larry Stewart, grandsons, Brett Golden, Lakota Golden and Jason Morace, granddaughter Alicia Morace and her children, Caiden, Kyleigh and Cambre. Her cousins, Ardis Dale Peace and his wife Stella, and Sara Jane “Cissy” Peace and her daughters Beth and Maggie Brakeville.
The family would like to thank everyone for their beautiful words, comfort and prayers during this time and ask in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Rocky Mount Cemetery Association, which can be sent via mail to 183 DeMoss Road, Plain Dealing, La., 71064.