I am the oldest of two girls. My sister and I grew up in Uvalde and Plano, Texas.
Our parents met at Baylor University when they were students and married after my mom graduated in 1964. They stayed married 56 years until my mom’s passing in 2020.
My mother graduated with her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Elementary Education; and received a degree in music (organ performance). She was a church organist and taught Kindergarteners for over 25 years.
My father received a business and broadcasting degree from Baylor and had a radio show when he was at Baylor on KWBU. My grandfather owned radio stations and grocery stores in South Texas and my dad was a partner in those businesses. He even had me doing commercials at a young age!
I was very blessed to have such a wonderful mother until her passing in 2020 before her 78th birthday. Her birthday was often on Mother’s Day.
She taught me to love reading and I had a large collection of books. I attended Sunday School weekly and loved Vacation Bible School every summer.
She taught me piano and loved singing with me in church choir. I loved going to church with her when she was practicing the organ before Sunday church service.
I was very blessed to have such a wonderful mother until her passing in 2020 before her 78th birthday. Her birthday was often on Mother’s Day.
She taught me to love reading and I had a large collection of books. I attended Sunday School weekly and loved Vacation Bible School every summer.
She taught me piano and loved singing with me in church choir. I loved going to church with her when she was practicing the organ before Sunday church service.
This is me on my baby dedication day at First Baptist Church of Uvalde, Texas. I still have my baby Bibles.
At the age of 7, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and was baptized by Pastor Homer Hanna in my home church. I have a special cross necklace with the date I was baptized on July 7.
I still remember the day I joined the church on a Sunday night. My mother was playing the organ and my dad was there as a deacon. Both my parents stood with me at the front of the church for my big decision.
On Sunday morning July 7t I was baptized and my entire family was there: parents, grand parents, aunt and uncle and cousins.
I was taught to love Jesus with all my heart. I enjoyed reading Bible stories in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.
This is me on my baby dedication day at First Baptist Church of Uvalde, Texas. I still have my baby Bibles.
At the age of 7, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and was baptized by Pastor Homer Hanna in my home church. I have a special cross necklace with the date I was baptized on July 7.
I still remember the day I joined the church on a Sunday night. My mother was playing the organ and my dad was there as a deacon. Both my parents stood with me at the front of the church for my big decision.
On Sunday morning July 7t I was baptized and my entire family was there: parents, grand parents, aunt and uncle and cousins.
I was taught to love Jesus with all my heart. I enjoyed reading Bible stories in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.
Easter is always a special holiday because of my love for Jesus and my birthday is often on Easter weekend.
My mother always made me a bunny cake every year – even when I was a big girl. My last bunny cake that I remember was 6 years ago when my mother was alive.
One year, when I was little – I remember having bunny birthday invitations (I still have it) and a bunny cake. We enjoyed hunting eggs at my grand parents ranch outside of Uvalde.
Easter is always a special holiday because of my love for Jesus and my birthday is often on Easter weekend.
My mother always made me a bunny cake every year – even when I was a big girl. My last bunny cake that I remember was 6 years ago when my mother was alive.
One year, when I was little – I remember having bunny birthday invitations (I still have it) and a bunny cake. We enjoyed hunting eggs at my grand parents ranch outside of Uvalde.
I was the first girl born into our Stewart Family in more than 30 years. I still have my gold baby bracelet.
I had my daddy’s blue eyes and brown hair.
My grandmother on my mother’s side who I called “Gee-Goggee” (until my younger sister shortened it to “Goggee) named me Stephanie. And my mother gave me my middle name Anne because her name was Suzanne. Even my niece has my middle name, Anne.
I was very loved as a little girl and even had a pony who I picked out with my grandfather “Pop”. I wanted to name him “Pickles,” but my grandfather said we should name him “Little Bit” because he was “a little bit of a horse.” I later found a book about a horse named “Pickles”. I wish we had named him that!!
I was the first girl born into our Stewart Family in more than 30 years. I still have my gold baby bracelet.
I had my daddy’s blue eyes and brown hair.
My grandmother on my mother’s side who I called “Gee-Goggee” (until my younger sister shortened it to “Goggee) named me Stephanie. And my mother gave me my middle name Anne because her name was Suzanne. Even my niece has my middle name, Anne.
I was very loved as a little girl and even had a pony who I picked out with my grandfather “Pop”. I wanted to name him “Pickles,” but my grandfather said we should name him “Little Bit” because he was “a little bit of a horse.” I later found a book about a horse named “Pickles”. I wish we had named him that!!
I remember my first piano recital in Uvalde and the song I performed was the “Lollipop Waltz”. My mother had high expectations for me and my music. She always wanted me to memorize my piece (and I did), every single one.
I went on from “Lollipop Waltz” to perform more complicated pieces like Mozart (my favorite). My teacher had her music degree from SMU and was named Denise.
I played the piano until the 9th grade when I switched to voice lessons with Dee Anne and auditioned for Pop Singers with “Wints” at Clark High School in 10th grade and Steve G. of Music Corp. in 12th grade at Plano Senior High School.
I was the first girl born into our Stewart Family in more than 30 years. I still have my gold baby bracelet.
I had my daddy’s blue eyes and brown hair.
My grandmother on my mother’s side who I called “Gee-Goggee” (until my younger sister shortened it to “Goggee) named me Stephanie. And my mother gave me my middle name Anne because her name was Suzanne. Even my niece has my middle name, Anne.
I was very loved as a little girl and even had a pony who I picked out with my grandfather “Pop”. I wanted to name him “Pickles,” but my grandfather said we should name him “Little Bit” because he was “a little bit of a horse.” I later found a book about a horse named “Pickles”. I wish we had named him that!!
Pictured is my beautiful family from Dad (Johnnie), Mother (Suzanne), Me and Sister, Julie (5 years younger). We took this picture for our church directory at First Baptist Church of Richardson.
Pictured is my beautiful family from Dad (Johnnie), Mother (Suzanne), Me and Sister, Julie (5 years younger). We took this picture for our church directory at First Baptist Church of Richardson.
My favorite place to vacation is Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I have been a total of 5 times:
Once with my family in the 9th grade, once when I graduated from Baylor University with my best friend, once when I was in graduate school at SMU with the Business Leadership Center (BLC) and twice with my husband, Michael.
My favorite place to vacation is Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I have been a total of 5 times:
Once with my family in the 9th grade, once when I graduated from Baylor University with my best friend, once when I was in graduate school at SMU with the Business Leadership Center (BLC) and twice with my husband, Michael.
Goal accomplished: MBA from SMU Cox School of BusinessI was the first girl born into our Stewart Family in more than 30 years. I still have my gold baby bracelet.
I had my daddy’s blue eyes and brown hair.
My grandmother on my mother’s side who I called “Gee-Goggee” (until my younger sister shortened it to “Goggee) named me Stephanie. And my mother gave me my middle name Anne because her name was Suzanne. Even my niece has my middle name, Anne.
I was very loved as a little girl and even had a pony who I picked out with my grandfather “Pop”. I wanted to name him “Pickles,” but my grandfather said we should name him “Little Bit” because he was “a little bit of a horse.” I later found a book about a horse named “Pickles”. I wish we had named him that!!
Ten years after I graduated from Baylor, I had set my sights on graduating with my MBA from the Cox School of Business at SMU.
My dad had gotten his BBA from Baylor in Business, plus taken graduate level business classes in Uvalde. He was an entrepreneur, his father was an entrepreneur, and I wanted to be an entrepreneur. He also taught me tennis and to love sports! I learned sports from my dad and music from my mom.
I had no idea that I would create Pookey Tiger until 5 years after I graduated from SMU and was living in Houston. The Director of the SMU Entrepreneurship Center took me under his wings and helped me earn my stripes in becoming the Chief Tiger Officer of Pookey Tiger LLC. He’s even the one who named Pookey Tiger. Today I am living my dream and hoping to share the love of Jesus through Pookey Tiger and his album “God Is My GRRR”.
One of my favorite memories was listening to Peter Pan Records. Each one had a book and record with it and it, said, “You will know it is time to turn the page when you hear Tinkerbell say “Ding” (sound of her wand). My friend Dana had every one of them! Later as an adult, I bought all of them too!
I grew up watching The Mickey Mouse Club and loved all the Mouseketeers. In fact, The Pookey Tiger Club is a tribute to all these wonderful memories growing up!
I even remember how old I was based on the Disney movie that premiered that year. “Cinderella” was the first Disney movie that I saw with my Dad at the El Lasso movie theatre in Uvalde.
“The Rescuers” was my ‘going away party’ theme that my best friend Dana and her Mom gave me and invited all my friends from Uvalde before I moved to Plano.
One of my favorite memories was listening to Peter Pan Records. Each one had a book and record with it and it, said, “You will know it is time to turn the page when you hear Tinkerbell say “Ding” (sound of her wand). My friend Dana had every one of them! Later as an adult, I bought all of them too!
I grew up watching The Mickey Mouse Club and loved all the Mouseketeers. In fact, The Pookey Tiger Club is a tribute to all these wonderful memories growing up!
I even remember how old I was based on the Disney movie that premiered that year. “Cinderella” was the first Disney movie that I saw with my Dad at the El Lasso movie theatre in Uvalde.
“The Rescuers” was my ‘going away party’ theme that my best friend Dana and her Mom gave me and invited all my friends from Uvalde before I moved to Plano.
Every Christmas season, my family and I would enjoy watching our favorite Christmas movies: “A Charlie Brown Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, Santa Claus Is Comin To Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman”.
Making candy cane cookies with my grandmother “Goggee” in her home in Dallas and opening the doors on the chocolate advent calendar each day until Christmas.
Decorating our family Christmas tree in Plano and Christmas caroling with church friends at First Baptist Church of Richardson. Enjoying candlelight Christmas service on Christmas Eve with my family.
One of my favorite Christmas memories was when Santa Clause visited our family ranch in Nueces Canyon outside of Uvalde and I went on a scavenger hunt to find my Cinderella doll from Santa. We also enjoyed tamales on Christmas Eve.
This is me on my baby dedication day at First Baptist Church of Uvalde, Texas. I still have my baby Bibles.
At the age of 7, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and was baptized by Pastor Homer Hanna in my home church. I have a special cross necklace with the date I was baptized on July 7.
I still remember the day I joined the church on a Sunday night. My mother was playing the organ and my dad was there as a deacon. Both my parents stood with me at the front of the church for my big decision.
On Sunday morning July 7t I was baptized and my entire family was there: parents, grand parents, aunt and uncle and cousins.
I was taught to love Jesus with all my heart. I enjoyed reading Bible stories in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.
One of my earliest memories of being a natural salesperson was selling flowers, rocks and pictures around the neighborhood in Uvalde. My sales pitch went like this: I have flowers for sale. And if you don’t want a flower, I have rocks for sale. If you don’t want a rock, I have pictures (that I drew) for sale. Yes, I was successful in my sales efforts that day because I was determined to get the sale. However, my method was flawed in that I had picked Mrs. Ladley’s flowers from her prize rose garden without my mother knowing. Mrs. Ladley was a member of the Uvalde Garden Club and such a sweet neighbor. After my mother found out, she took me to Mrs. Ladley to apologize and confess what I had done. I remember mother saying how kind Mrs. Ladley was to me when I had to give her the bad news about her flowers.
One of my earliest memories of being a natural salesperson was selling flowers, rocks and pictures around the neighborhood in Uvalde. My sales pitch went like this: I have flowers for sale. And if you don’t want a flower, I have rocks for sale. If you don’t want a rock, I have pictures (that I drew) for sale. Yes, I was successful in my sales efforts that day because I was determined to get the sale. However, my method was flawed in that I had picked Mrs. Ladley’s flowers from her prize rose garden without my mother knowing. Mrs. Ladley was a member of the Uvalde Garden Club and such a sweet neighbor. After my mother found out, she took me to Mrs. Ladley to apologize and confess what I had done. I remember mother saying how kind Mrs. Ladley was to me when I had to give her the bad news about her flowers.
This is my favorite school yearbook picture in the 3rd grade for many reasons. It showcases my best features: green eyes (from my mom), big smile and auburn hair (from my grandfather). As I grew older, my hair turned blonde (by choice). My mother and sister were blonde so it was easy for me to be blonde too! However, this picture shows the red in my hair from my mother’s father, who I called “Paw Paw”. He was married to my “Goggee” but sadly passed when I was 5 years old. He called me his “Princess”.
This is my favorite school yearbook picture in the 3rd grade for many reasons. It showcases my best features: green eyes (from my mom), big smile and auburn hair (from my grandfather). As I grew older, my hair turned blonde (by choice). My mother and sister were blonde so it was easy for me to be blonde too! However, this picture shows the red in my hair from my mother’s father, who I called “Paw Paw”. He was married to my “Goggee” but sadly passed when I was 5 years old. He called me his “Princess”.