Mable Arlene (SMITH) McGOWEN

SMITH, MCGOWEN, PHILIPS, ELLIOTT, TAYLOR

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 3/29/2011 at 09:35:35

Obituary - Mable Arlene (Smith) McGowen

Mable Arlene SMITH McGOWEN was born November 13, 1919 to Bryan and Matilda SMITH near Rockwell, Iowa. Her parents moved to Story County in 1920 and she attended various country schools. In 1933 they moved near Maxwell where she completed High School, graduating in May 1938 as Valedictorian of her class.

Mable attended Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe, Missouri and then worked for the Woolworth Company there. In 1940 she transferred to the Woolworth store in Hastings, Nebraska. She joined the U.S. Navy in April 1944 and served until September 1946.

On September 8, 1946 she married Robert McGowen of Mountain Grove, Missouri. After a short time in Missouri they moved to Newton, Iowa, where Bob found employment with Maytag and Mable worked at Woolworths and later worked at the Newton Library and traveled with the Bookmobile. She also served as a 4-H leader for the Happy-Go-Lucky club.

In the spring of 1965 Mable became a Christian and joined Metz Community Church where she taught Sunday School, helped with VBS and sang in the choir. Mable loved to garden and is known for her homemade jams, her beautiful flowers, her crocheted blankets, her wisdom, her love for her children and her generosity.

Those left to honor Mable's memory are her husband, Bob, their three children: Gerry (Phyllis) who lives in Omaha, NE., Linda (Tom) who lives in Switzerland and Bob (Becci) who lives in Waukee, IA., grandson: Zachary McGOWEN of Omaha, NE, and her three sisters: Doris PHILIPS from Columbus, OH, Virginia ELLIOTT of Nevada, IA and Juanita TAYLOR of Mountain Grove, MO.

Mable was preceded in death by her parents.

SOURCE: Mable's Funeral Card

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2011

Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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