Stella Way Obituary

Stella Lee Branton Way Summerville - Stella Lee Branton Way, of Summerville, SC, widow of Robert Evans Way and centenarian at 102, entered eternal rest on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. She was the Matriarch of her family. She was strong, brave, courageous, determined, spunky and beautiful. She was born March 20, 1920, the same year a woman's right to vote was ratified, in Moncks Corner, SC, and was the daughter of the late Walter Benjamin Branton and Sarah Crawford Branton. The lines on her face traced the decades of her life experiences. It wasn't until the Pandemic in 2020, that her family truly came to understand why she was the woman who always had forty cans of green beans in her pantry as she'd lived through many epic events in history: the invention of electricity, television, telephone, the Great Depression, Prohibition, the rise of rock and roll, the fight for Civil Rights, the atomic bomb, multiple wars, space travels, computers, technology and social media. Her gentle but weathered hands are proof of many years of perseverance and hard work. She was a bookkeeper for many companies in Charleston, SC such as Sears and Roebuck, C&S Bank, Planter's Fertilizer and Charleston Supply. Her true passion was working in the yard, and the lovely flowers she tended to daily. Her yard and landscaping were impeccable and earned her "Yard of the Month" in her neighborhood. She was also an avid lover of sweet potatoes and ate them every day! She was preceded in death by her parents, Sarah Crawford Branton and Walter Branton; her husband, and her 10 brothers and sisters. She is survived by 2 daughters, Carol E. Way and Kerry Way of Summerville, SC; granddaughter, Amanda Taylor Dowd; and 2 great-granddaughters, Faith Olivia Higdon and Eva Love Higdon. She was true to her husband of 41 years and fiercely loved her daughters, and especially her granddaughter and great-granddaughters. If the unconditional love she gave to those around her was measured in dollars, she'd be a billionaire. Despite the social and political polarization and growing apathy in today's world, her last wishes were for people to find a way to respect and love one another. A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 20, 2022 in the J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road at 1:00 pm. Inurnment will follow at Mount Pleasant Memorial Gardens. Arrangements were made by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston