Alma Mae Cowan

Mrs. Alma Mae Cowan, 97, passed away at 7:55 a.m. on March 15, 2018, at her home with her family by her side in Sacramento, California. She was known by her family as Neenee.

Born in Central, Grant County, New Mexico on August 10, 1920, to Lacy and Ettie Mae Duncan, she and her sister Helen Traynor and brother Eugene Duncan lived in Silver Heights and Pinos Altos.  She enjoyed spending as much time as she could with her grandparents John T. and Annie Cybil Oglesby of Pinos Altos.  She graduated Silver City High School and attended 1 year at State Teachers College before marrying Earle Albert Cowan of Hurley, New Mexico on March 1, 1937 at the Baptist Church in Las Cruces and moved to Waldorf, Maryland to make their home where Earle Albert Cowan was employed by the government.  She began her 40 year career at the U.S. Naval Powder Factory in Indian Head, Charles County, Maryland on April 3, 1942.  She had their only child on October 22, 1945, when Brian Duncan Cowan was born.  Her family moved to Johannesburg, Kern County, California in 1946 to work at the U.S. Naval Ordinance Test Station (Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake) at China Lake, California.  They lived in base housing on Hornet, McIntire and Rowe Streets until moving to 649 N. Peg Street, Ridgecrest in 1971.  She was an active member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, an avid reader and was known to occasionally go to Las Vegas with her husband to gamble on weekends and play bingo during the week. She  began raising her grandson, Mark Edward Cowan in 1980 and retired in December 1982 as an Administrative Officer.  She moved back home to Silver City, New Mexico in 1988 and became an active member of Valley Community Church, which her step-mom, Mayme Duncan and her step-aunt, Lucy Powe were active members.  She took care of her mother, sister and brother until each of their passing.  After falling ill herself in 2004, she moved to Sacramento, California, to live with her grandson and his family.  She was preceded in death by her husband in 1981.

Surviving is her son, Brian Duncan Cowan, and his wife Lynn Schulyer Herron of Reno, Nevada, her grandson, Mark Edward Cowan, and his wife Nicole Cowan of Sacramento, California, and her granddaughter, Ava Cowan of Reno, Nevada, and her great-granddaughter, Emily Pearl Cowan of Sacramento, California.

Funeral will be held at Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 10 a.m. at Valley Community Church with the Rev. Nancy Curtis officiating.  Burial will follow in Memory Lane Cemetery.  Arrangements are by Baca’s Funeral Chapels.

Memorials may be made to Alzheimer's Association in her memory.

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