_________________________________
Dr.
John A. Stewart
1872
~ 1942
Dr. John Archibald Stewart was born in 1872 in Norboro, PEI, the
son of John and Penelope Dunlop Stewart. He had a brother, Hugh, and a sister, Elizabeth. After receiving his early education in
Norboro, he studied at Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown, receiving a
second-class teaching certificate in 1892 and a first-class certificate in
1894. He taught school in Park Corner,
PEI to raise money to continue his education at McGill University in Montreal.
Dr. Stewart graduated from McGill medical school in 1904. He moved to Tyne Valley to begin his 38-year medical
practice. On June 18, 1909, Dr. Stewart
married Eliza Ramsay, RN, from Tyne Valley, the daughter of James and Annie
Ramsay. Mrs. Stewart had graduated from
the PEI School of Nursing in 1908. Dr.
and Mrs. Stewart had one child, John Rusten, who died in infancy. In 1935, the Stewarts adopted Millicent MacCaull (1934-2021).
In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Stewart operated a drugstore
in Tyne Valley in the building that is now Backwoods Burger. His medical office was in the back of the drugstore
and he had his own power plant to supply lights for the building. Dr. Stewart’s work was not confined to
medicine as he always had a garden and did a considerable amount of research
into dairy farming, fox ranching and potato growing.
Dr. Stewart’s showed an unselfish dedication to his patients
and boundless energy during his time in Tyne Valley. He would take long trips by horse and sleigh
in all types of weather to far-off communities to deliver a baby or perform an
operation. Many times his busy schedule
and house calls meant he wouldn’t get any rest for days on end, and payment,
before Medicare, often meant accepting some produce or a load of firewood in
lieu of money.
Dr. Stewart died on November 2, 1942 at the age of 70. Mrs. Stewart continued to run the drugstore
until 1960. She was very involved in planning
and building the hospital named in memory of her husband. For many years after Stewart Memorial opened
in 1951, she continued to work at fundraising events and teas to support it in
any way she could. Mrs. Stewart died on May 13, 1971 at the age of 89.
Stewart
Memorial Hospital was proud to display Dr. Stewart’s 1904 McGill graduation photo
in the hospital. It acted as a reminder of the great man who inspired our
communities to build and maintain a hospital, thus ensuring our families and
neighbours had the best healthcare possible.
