Rowland, Willis M.

ROWLAND, LONG, LAMB

Posted By: volunteer (email)
Date: 7/6/2005 at 20:53:53

Funeral services for Willis Marion Rowland, 76, of Dallas, who died Thursday, Oct. 23, 2003 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, were held Monday, Oct. 27, at Bybee & Davis Funeral Home. Rev. Clyde Sparks officiated at the services. Geoffrey Shultz was pianist.

Interment was at Gosport Cemetery. Casket bearers were Mathew Rowland, Chris Rowland, Bruce Chambers, Charles Kading, Gene Mathes, Norman Payton, Allen Read, and Fred Staude. Honorary bearers were Amy Rowland, Mary Jo Ebbers, Neil Carruthers, Garry Clark, Darwin Damon, Larry DeJong, Anthony Kirtley, Keith Masa, Dennis Murr, Bob McCorkle, Elmer Pearson, Dean See, Bryan Shives, and E. John Smith.

Willis was born on August 27, 1927 at Gosport in Marion County, the son of Clarence LeRoy "C.L." and Mary Jeanettie "Nettie" (Long) Rowland. He attended Gosport country school and graduated from Knoxville Senior High School with the class of 1946. While in school he was a paperboy for the Des Moines Register and Tribune and worked at J.C. Penney's. Upon graduation he returned to the Gosport area to farm full time. On July 4, 1950 he married Marjorie A. Lamb at Pleasantville.

The couple continued farming for over 32 years on Rowland HI-LO Angus Farm, raising registered Angus cattle, hogs, and support crops on over 1000 acres. Willis then established and owned the Marion County Ag Center, an Allis-Chalmers dealership in Knoxville. In 1992 he began driving a semi-tractor. Enjoying it so much, he decided to become an owner-operator and formed WILL ROWL Trucking Inc. He was a charter member of the Marion County Cattleman's Association, Marion County Pork Producers, American Angus Association, Marion County Farm Bureau and a member of the Columbia United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Frankie Orr.

He is survived by his wife, Marjorie of Dallas; daughter Carole of Pleasantville; son Donald and wife Linda of Knoxville; three grandchildren, Chris and wife Theresa and Amy and Mathew Rowland; two step-grandsons, Bryan and Michael Reigle; four great-grandsons; Cole, Ben, Ethan and Kaleb; sister Janace Kaster of Des Moines; several nieces, nephews, and a host of friends and neighbors.

Memorials may be made to the Columbia United Methodist Church, Columbia Fire & Rescue Unit or Melcher-Dallas Fire & Rescue Unit.

Arrangements were made by Bybee & Davis Funeral Home.

Knoxville Journal Express, November 3, 2003