Obituary of Stella Louise Watson

Stella Valant Watson entered the world on November 10, 1918 in Haughville, to parents, Louis Valant and Louise Dragan Valant. Her brother Louis was happy to have a baby sister. She was a graduate of Washington High School. At the age of 17, she assumed more responsibilities in the family due to her father’s death at an early age by caring for her mother, brother, and little sister Lavena. Later her mother remarried and they welcomed another baby sister, Jeanie, into the family. After her stepfather’s death in 1944, Stella assumed the additional responsibility of helping to raise her two younger sisters and helping her widowed mother. In 1945 she met the love of her life, Howard Watson, and they married six months later. In 1946, she had her first son, Howard (Dink) and three years later her second son Jerry was born. Due to the difficult economic times, she started employment with RCA records. During this time, she managed her family, worked full-time, and cared for her mother and youngest sister. After 31 years, she retired from RCA records in 1979. During retirement, she was very involved with her six grandchildren: Scott, Ryan, Jason, Jozef, Marija, and Kristina. She was a member of the Slovenian National Home, SNPJ Lodge #34, Slovenian Women’s Union Branch 5, and St. Christopher’s Catholic Church. She was well known in the Slovenian community for making potica. Her family always came first and that was of greatest importance to her. Stella was a very strong and opinionated woman who was not afraid to speak her mind. She was able to enjoy her 11 great-grandchildren. Of the first American-born generation of the Valant and Dragan families, she was the last surviving Slovenian. She left behind nephews, nieces, and cousins here and also in Slovenia and Croatia.

In Lieu of Flowers memorial contributions can be made to St. Malachy, Holy Trinity Bell Relocation Fund.