Wahkiakum Eagle-July 1998 COWAN, Norman B. Age 87, longtime resident of Puget Island. He was born in Terry, South Dakota, and was raised in the Black Hills. He graduated from Lead High School in 1929. His first job was as a gold miner, employed by the Homestake Gold Mines. During WWII, the family moved west, and Norman worked in the Navy Yard. In later years he was a partner in the logging operations of the Meadow Creek Saw Mill in Mason County. He married Merle Watters on August 17, 1957. One child, a son, from this marriage was born on September 13, 1958; Brad joined seven children from their previous marriages. At age of 48, Norman and Merle bought a dairy on Puget Island in 1959 and became dairy farmers until they retired in 1983. A major reason for the success of the farm was the teamwork of the family and the love, dedication and hard work provided by his wife, Merle. Their son, Brad, and his family purchased the family farm and continue to operate it. Norman trained himself to become proficient in dairy husbandry. He was a member of the Washington State Grange, Dairy Herd Improvement Assoc. and the state and national Holstein associations. Church was a major influence in his life, and he became a deacon of the Cathlamet Christian Fellowship Church. He was a patient man, a sensitive husband and parent, and a good neighbor. He was known for having a dry sense of humor, his sweet tooth, and practicing honesty and fairness. He enjoyed fixing broken toys and farming tools. Watching his grandchildren and garden grow gave him great pleasure. One of his hobbies was to putter and invent something out of nothing. He will be missed by his wife of 40 years, Merle A. Cowan; and his children, 26 grandchildren and 24 great-grand-children. His children include, Connie and Gordon Adams and Sally and Don Stacy of Shelton; Bruce and Karen Cowan of Union; Bette Morton of Vancouver; Mike Morton of Beaverton, Ore.; Brad and Melody Cowan of Cathlamet; Bonnie and Paul Bourgault of Olympia; Cliff and Charlotte Watters of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; and Joel and Coralie Watters of Mountlake Terrace. Norman has one surviving sister, Elsie Pittman who lives in Viraqua, Wisc.; and one brother, William Cowan from Greybull, Wyo. A memorial service was held Sunday at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church on Puget Island with Pastor Tim Heffer officiating. Burial place unknown 05 Jan 1911-09 Jul 1998 (As transcribed by the Wahkiakum County Historical Society 2005 from original newspaper collection.)