Carl Cowart

Carl Cowart was born December 4, 1938 as the youngest child to Johnie & Katie Cowart (nee Hughes) in Rogers Mills County, OK.  He had 3 older sisters (June, Ida, Lois).  An older brother (John Allen) had passed away as infant.  A year after Carl’s birth his father died.  In 1944 his mother married James Harrison and the family moved to Lynden, WA.  There his siblings, Jay Edward & Glenda were born.

During high school he met and fell in love with his wife-to-be:  Anna (Ann) Roorda.  Though Ann moved to Ripon, CA to finish high school, the couple continued their courtship long distance and after she graduated, they married in Lynden, WA in 1957. 

Carl worked for Boeing in Seattle, but before the birth of their first child, they decided to move to CA.  Carl got a job as a farm hand.  Four children were born in quick succession:  Donald, Karen, Elaine, and Kelly.  Carl confessed Christ as Savior in 1960 and was baptized at the same time as his third child in the Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Ripon.  Soon after Carl decided to go into farming for himself and was later joined in the business by his brother-in-law Minard Roorda.  Daughters, Christine and Brenda, were born in 1967 and 1968, respectively.  The business expanded to include almonds, walnuts, row crops, custom harvesting (corn/alfalfa) and included a feed lot.  In the late 90’s the brothers-in-law decided to dissolve the partnership and go their own directions in business.  Carl bought land in South Dakota and Idaho. 

Carl was an avid hunter and because of it the family has tasted such things as wild boar, sheep, deer, elk, bear, duck and pheasant.  He also enjoyed bowling in the dairymen’s league.

His wife Ann cared for him a number of years at home as his memory failed.  When age made it difficult for her to continue, Carl was moved in 2019 to Valley Comfort in Modesto where Ann visited him daily.  He passed away with his family around him to enter heaven on December 28, 2019.

He was preceded in death by his father, Johnie Allen Cowart;  step father, Jay Harrison; mother, Katie Harrison;  siblings: John Allen Cowart, Jay Edward Harrison, and June Jones. 

He is survived by his wife, Ann;  by sisters: Ida VandeYacht, Lois Pomeroy, and Glenda Van Dyk;  children:  Donald Cowart, Karen (Glenn) Apol, Elaine (Jeff) Stracker, Kelly (Don) Shipley, Christine Cowart, and Brenda Cowart;  8 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. 

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 2, 2020 at 11 AM in the Zion United Reformed Church in Ripon. 

The family gives glory to God that though we forget, he never forgets us;  and they thank Valley Comfort and Community Hospice for the care and assistance they gave.