Bennett Stewart, 76, former congressman and alderman

Bennett Stewart, 76, former congressman and South Side alderman,died Tuesday in the University of Chicago Hospitals.

Mr. Stewart, of Chatham, represented the 21st Ward from 1971 to1979 in the era of Mayor Richard J. Daley. He was elected toCongress from the 1st District and served from 1979 to 1981, when heretired.

A onetime farm boy from a Huntsville, Ala., family of five sonsand four daughters, Stewart graduated from Miles College, Birmingham,Ala., where his wife, Pattye, was a classmate. Mr. Stewart laterbecame a member of the board of trustees of Miles.

He taught high school in Birmingham and later taught at Miles.He gave up teaching to become a door-to-door insurance salesman.

In 1968, he became a building inspector and later an urbanrenewal specialist advising property owners on financing renovations.

A redistricting after the 1970 census opened a City Councilvacancy in the 21st Ward, and Stewart, by that time a top precinctcaptain, was chosen. He easily defeated three opponents.

After the death of U.S. Rep. Ralph Metcalfe, Bennett brushedaside young tigers like Aldermen Eugene Sawyer (6th) and Timothy C.Evans (4th) and in a showdown vote won the congressional nominationover County Commissioner John H. Stroger Jr. and Timuel Black, a citycollege professor.

In addition to his wife, survivors include two sons, Bennett Jr.and Ronald; a daughter, Miriam Stewart-Early; a brother, and fourgrandchildren.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in St. Paul CME Church,4644 S. Dearborn. Visitation will be at 1 p.m in the church beforeservices. Burial will be in Birmingham.