Betty Jane Cowan, 94, of Burlington, died at 1:42 AM Thursday, February 14, 2019, at the Burlington Care Center in Burlington. Born October 21, 1924, in Peoria, IL, she was the daughter of George Gilbert and Nellie Bly Freeman Calliccotte. On November 19, 1949, she married Donald Wayne Cowan in Burlington, Iowa at West Hill Methodist Church.
They were married 65 years. He passed on February 3, 2013. She graduated from Peoria Manual High in 1943.
She enjoyed participating in musicals and plays throughout high school. History was her favorite subject, which aided her later in life when she conducted a genealogy study on her Callicotte line, tracing back to her 13th grandfather in the 1600s. Betty was a head buyer for Klein’s Department Store in Peoria and Burlington.
Betty was a member of First Presbyterian Church. She was a past member of King’s Daughter’s. She enjoyed quilting, counter cross stitch, danced on stage in Peoria from age 7 to 21 (tap, toe and ballet), and modeled in Peoria.
She loved baking cookies and baked 1,000 cookies one Christmas. She passed on her love of cooking, many family stories and her love of God by being a great mother and Nana. Survivors include her daughter, Sandy Walz of Burlington; daughter-in-law, Mary Cowan of Overland Park, KS; six grandchildren, Andrea (Duane) Hartman of Burlington, Christopher (Kate) Walz of Ottumwa, IA, Samantha Cowan of Kansas City, MO, Joseph (Gretchen) Geisel VI of Littleton, CO, Jessica (Sam) Heaney of Overland Park, KS, and Meg Cowan of Overland Park, KS; four great-grandchildren, Kayleigh Hartman of Burlington, IA, Sev Geisel and William Geisel of Littleton, CO, and Bo Heaney of Overland Park, KS; two brothers-in-law, David (Susan) Cowan of Nashville, TN and Rev.
Douglas (Denise) Cowan of Rochelle, IL and several nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and beloved friends. Besides her husband she was preceded in death by her parents, one son, Dr. Dennis Cowan, one sister, Martha Hitt, three brothers, Robert Dolley, Ralph Dolley and Charles Dolley, one nephew, Col. Gerald Hitt and one great-nephew, Raymond Hitt.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM Thursday, February 21, 2019 at Prugh’s Chapel Downtown. The funeral service for Mrs. Cowan will be 10:00 AM Friday, February 22, 2019, at Prugh’s Chapel Downtown with Pastor Dean Graber officiating. Burial will be in Aspen Grove Cemetery.
A time of food and fellowship will be held at The Loft on Jefferson following the burial. A memorial has been established for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
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