Stella Lawrene (Unser) Steventon passed away on July 11, 2024. After an extended battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, she slipped peacefully into heaven with her sons Paul and David by her side.
Stella was born on June 20, 1938 to Lawrence and Irene (Jones) Unser in Porterville and grew up in the Springville home built by Lawrence and Irene. At Porterville High School she was a song leader and active in student government. Upon graduation from Porterville High in 1956, she continued her education and earned a teaching degree from San Jose State University.
Stella was married to R. Bruce Steventon in 1962 at the Springville Methodist Church. The couple began dating in high school and graduated together from San Jose State. They made their home in Porterville and raised two sons, David and Paul. Stella and Bruce were married until Bruce’s passing in 2006.
Stella worked as a teacher at Parker Elementary School in San Jose before returning to Porterville. In Porterville she taught for Porterville Schools and then scaled back to substitute teacher while raising her family. She was a lifetime member of the Methodist church. She believed in the power of prayer and enjoyed participating in bible studies that could be related to modern world events. Stella was active in Parent Teacher Associations, was a Cub Scout den mother, hosted boys who were in town for Babe Ruth baseball tournaments, and never missed her sons’ ballgames. She and Bruce loved people and were happy to have company. They would barbeque for their sons’ prom dates and other special occasions.
Stella was an exceptional grandmother and her grandsons Matt and Chris looked forward to Wednesday afternoons in her home. She’d pick them up from school and treat them to snacks, yard croquet, swimming and other fun. She attended many of their sports and award events. Daughter-in-law Kristie would often arrive early on Wednesdays to be a part of the activities and talk schoolhouse shop with Stella.
Stella and Bruce were travelers and visited faraway places that included China, Greece, Panama, and Russia. Closer to home, they rallied around California with a group of friends in sports cars.
Stella treasured time with her extended family.
