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Irma McGowan
Former longtime Ogallala resident, Irma Louise (Welch) McGowan, age
93, died and went home to meet her Lord, on Wednesday, April 8,
2009, at the Golden Living Center at Schuyler, Nebraska.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14th
at the First Congregational Church with Revs. Laurie Heidenreich and
Phil Ewert officiating. Burial will be in the Ogallala Cemetery.
Irma was born on December 2, 1915 in Berwyn, Nebraska, the daughter
of Roy and Vallie (Sigourney) Welch. She graduated from the Berwyn
High School in 1932.
On December 22, 1940, she married C.J. “Kelly” McGowan at Berwyn.
She was a full-time homemaker except for three years during World
War II when she was a switchboard operator at Yuma Army Air Force
Base in Yuma, Arizona. She also worked part-time at the family
business, McGowan’s Market.
She was a member of the First Congregational Church and a member of
the Woman’s Fellowship where she handled prayer and correspondence.
She taught children’s Sunday School for many years, and later she
taught an adult Sunday School class until she was over eighty years
old.
Irma loved studying the Bible, and she worked in the Congregational
Church’s Jumble Shop. She was a member of the Ogallala Retired
Senior Volunteer Program for over twenty five years, and she had
donated over five gallons of blood to the Red Cross Bloodmobile.
She enjoyed gardening until just short of her ninetieth birthday,
and she loved to share the things she grew with friends and
relatives. She also crocheted many afghans and gave them to her
children, grandchildren, great grandchild, and to many of her
friends.
In 2005 she moved to Schuyler, Nebraska, into an assisted living
apartment to be closer to her family. She enjoyed the friendships
she made in the Schuyler area, and enjoyed keeping in touch with her
friends in the Ogallala area by telephone.
Survivors include:
Her son, Kelly and wife Melody McGowan of Columbus
Grandchildren, James McGowan and fiancée Stephanie Searson of Omaha
Anthony and wife Missy McGowan of Omaha
Patrick McGowan and Sean McGowan of Sacramento, CA
Great granddaughter, Emma Elaine McGowan (daughter of Anthony and
Missy)
And many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kelly McGowan; infant son
Patrick and son Terry; two brothers, Howard “Dutch” (Genevieve)
Welch and Charles Welch, and one sister, Vivian (Glen) Williams.
Visitation will be held
from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Monday, April 13th at the Gubser
Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent at
gubserfuenralhome.com. Memorials may be sent to Kelly McGowan, 4115
Sunset Drive, Columbus, NE 68601. |
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