Howard Clinton Rowan

GEDCOM Note

By Anna Jane Rowan Boch Shaw - Daughter:

Howard attended Pleasant Ridge Grade School, a one room country school through 8th grade. On July 4, 1928, he married Wanda Inez Dixon at Aldri ch, Polk County, Missouri, in a Double Wedding ceremony with Hayden and Juanita McNeely.

Howard and Inez lived in Kansas City, Kansas from 1928 to 1932. His occupation at that time is unknown. It was during the depression and times were hard, so Inez worked in a laundry and a dime store.

They moved back to Missouri, and lived on a rented farm at South Greenfield for a while, later moving to Polk County and rented farms. Dad worked for $1.00 per day on o ther farms at some point during those years. He had no car, so walked to work.

In 1944 they bought a 100 acre farm with a 3 room house, near Aldrich, Polk County, Missouri. By that time they owned a 1936 Ford Car and had 3 children. In the next few years, they built a barn, chicken house and added a bedroom to the house. By the mid to late forties, we had 12 milk cows, 3 horses, hogs and chickens. Our living was from selling milk, eggs and field crops of corn, wheat and hay. We killed our own beef, pork and chickens. There was always lots of home grown fruits and vegetables. About 1948 he bought a Ford tractor and equipment for use in farming.

He was a dedicated Christian and member of the Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church, where he served as an ordained deacon. He also was active in the Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star, where he became Worthy Patron in 1958 and initiated his daughter Anna Jane into Eastern Star.

When he was about 45 years old in 1951, he had a slight heart attack and the Doctor advised him to leave the farm. He got a job as manager of the Aldrich MFA farm and grocery store. We sold the farm and moved to Aldrich in 1952. Inez worked as bookkeeper. He worked there for 3 years, and in 1955 was offered a job managing the MFA Elevator at Montrose, Missouri, which wa s a better job with better pay. Inez also worked as bookkeeper in Montrose. They lived in Montrose for 10 years, then again he was offered a better job as manager of Stockton MFA elevator. After about 18 months there, and after building their first new home, he suffered a massive heart attack while planting a tree. He died 2 months later during a second massive heart attack at a ge 60.

He was a quiet man most of the time, but loved his church, family and home. He had many friends, and a reputation of being an honest man you could depend on. He was an avid reader of books, a legacy which he passed on to his children.