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OBIT: Mr. Patrick Cowan

Mr. Patrick Cowan

Mr. Patrick Cowan of the Dillards Creek Community died peacefully at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon February 13, 2019 at his CY Lane home with his loving family at his bedside. His cause of death was congestive heart failure although he had been diagnosed with and endured Parkinson’s disease since 1991. He was pronounced deceased at 2:23 p.m. by Kindred Hospice of Cookeville, who had been loving caring for him along with his family since being discharged from Tennova Health Care in Lebanon on Monday February 11th. Mr. Cowan died nine days before his 72nd birthday.

Funeral services from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home were conducted on Saturday afternoon February 16th at 1 p.m. Mr. Cowan’s former pastor Eld. Kenny Hensley and his present pastor Eld. Dewey Dyer officiated at the services and burial followed in the Garden of Gethsemane at Smith County Memorial Gardens.

Born Patrick Michael Cowan on February 22, 1947 in the Dillards Creek Community, he was the eldest of nine children and was the son of the late Patrick Travis Cowan who died on April 4, 1983 at the age of 60 and Helen Frances Trawick Cowan who died April 19, 2009 at the age of 83.

A sister, Melinda Kaye Cowan McCormick preceded Pat in death on October 6, 2017 at the age of 50 as did a brother, Solon Kerr Cowan who preceded him in death on April 9, 2008 at the age of 56.

Educated through the eighth grade at the Forks River Elementary School, he was a 1965 graduate of Smith County High School. There he majored in agriculture and science and was vice-president of his senior year ag class. His junior and senior years he was a member of the soil judging team, participated in the skills contest, represented the class his junior and senior years at the University of Tennessee on the parliamentary procedure team, was a district officer his junior year and was on the leadership committee his senior year. It was said of him his senior year in the yearbook that he was; impulsive, hardworking and a farmer.

Mr. Cowan was united in marriage on March 16, 1966 at the Smith County Courthouse buy then Circuit Court Clerk Joe Hershel Wilson to Pleasant Shade Community native, the former Mary Jane Shoulders, who was his high school sweetheart.

Mr. Cowan proudly served our country with the United States Army during the Vietnam war and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sargent from all military obligations on May 9, 1968.

Mr. Cowan was saved and baptized and was a member of the Chestnut Mound Missionary Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon until his death.

In September of 2002 he retired from the Ross Gear Division of T.R.W. in Lebanon where he had been employed for almost thirty seven years and began employment there on November 1, 1965 and had received credit for his military service.

Surviving in addition to his wife Jane, of almost fifty three years, are their two children, a daughter, Juanita Cowan Thomas and husband Charles, a son, Michael Cowan and wife Deanna Woodard Thomas all of the Elmwood Community; three sisters, Mary “Sissy” Cowan of South Carthage, Elaine Cowan of the Dillards Creek Community, Betty Price and husband Vernon of the Defeated Creek Community; three brothers, Glenn Cowan and wife Janie of the Dillards Creek Community, David Cowan and wife Rhonda of Hartsville, Jimmy Cowan and wife Vickie of the Pea Ridge Community; four grandchildren, Shawn Thomas and wife Mariea, Patricia Thomas, Kayla Cowan, Emily Cowan; great-granddaughter, Athena Thomas.

The Cowan family requests memorials to the Shrine Children’s Burn Hospital.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE