Mary C Besta Cowan

1944 - 2014  (69 years)

• Name	Mary C Besta Cowan
  Born	25 Dec 1944	Rossville, Shawnee County, Kansas
  Gender	Female
  Died	11 Mar 2014	Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas
  Buried	15 Mar 2014	Rossville Cemetery, Rossville, Shawnee County, Kansas
  Person ID	I3050	Rossville
  Last Modified	23 Mar 2017

  
  

  Father	Edward Bruce Besta,   b. 1915,   d. 23 Dec 1954  (Age 39 years)
  Mother	Winifred L Yocum Besta Kerwin,   b. 19 Nov 1918, St. Marys, Pottawatomie County, Kansas ,   d. 1 Oct 2011, Rossville, Shawnee County, Kansas  (Age 92 years)
  Married	31 Aug 1935
  Family ID	F343	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Ronald Cowan
  Married	5 Oct 1963	Delia, Jackson County, Kansas
  Children	+ 1. Rodney Jerome Cowan,   b. 14 Feb 1965   2. John Cowan   3. Kelley Cowan + 4. Shane Cowan + 5. Kevin Michael Cowan
  Documents		Anniversary- Cowan, Ron and Mary Anniversary For Ron Cowan Couple Ron and Mary Cowan, Rossville, will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary with a reception in their honor Saturday, October 1. The event will be at St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited; the couple requests no gifts, please.
  Last Modified	29 Nov 2017 08:29:46
  Family ID	F1472	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Documents » Slide Show		Obituary- Cowan, Mary 1 Mary C. Cowan Rossville-Mary C. Cowan, 69, passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the Midland Hospice House on March 11, 2014, after a long, hard fought battle with COPD. Mary was born in Rossville on December 25, 1944, to Edward and Winifred Yocum Besta. She grew up in the Rossville/Delia area and graduated from Delia High School in 1962. After staying at home to raise her children, she went to work as a special needs paraprofessional for USD #321 and retired after 20 years of service. She was an active member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville. Mary enjoyed being active and loved playing softball in her younger years. She enjoyed going fishing with her husband, gardening, sewing, and refinishing antique furniture. There wasn't much she couldn't catch, grow, make or make look new and she was an amazing cook. She would have much rather gone outside to play a game of catch than go shopping any day and for this reason she was the perfect mother for 5 boys. She was extremely patient and had a calming presence about her, a trait that would draw people of all ages to her. Her family was her life and she did not miss any of her son's events as they grew up. She continued to attend many of her grandchildren's events as long as she could. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her tremendous joy and were the bright spots on even her darkest days. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her step-father, Clinton Kerwin, a brother, Eddie Besta and a sister, Teresa Marney. On October 5, 1963 she was united in marriage to Ron Cowan at Sacred Heart Church in Delia. They enjoyed 50 years together. Ron survives of the home. Other survivors include her five sons, John (Brigette), Topeka, Rod (Deana), Maple Hill, Kelley, Maple Hill, Kevin (Val) Wichita and Shane (Kelly) Cowan, Allen, TX; her grandchildren, Tyler (Sarah), Shelby, Corey, Lacey, Jericka, Annalyn, Kaegan, Shaemus, Grace, Ford, Shanan and Karli; two great-grandchildren Easton and Tyce; two brothers, Bennie Besta, Rossville and Bob (Susan) Kerwin, Topeka; her sister, Terri Kerwin, Topeka; a brother-in-law, Bob Marney, Holton and a sister-in-law Nancy Besta, Topeka. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, March 15, 2014 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville. Interment will be in the Rossville Cemetery. There will be a Rosary recited at 6:00 P.M. Friday at the church followed by a visitation until 8:00 P.M. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Stanislaus Catholic Church or Midland Hospice House and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple, St. Marys, Kansas 66536. Online condolences may be sent to www.piperfuneralhome.com.
  		Obituary- Cowan, Mary 2 Mary C. Cowan Mary C. Cowan, Rossville, 69, passed away peacefully with her family by her side at the Mid¬land Hospice House on March 11, 2014, after a long, hard-fought battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mary was born in Rossville on Dec. 25, 1944, to Ed¬ward and Winifred Yocum Besta. She grew up in the Rossville/Delia area and graduated from Delia High School in 1962. After staying at home to raise her children, she went to work as a special needs paraprofessional for USD 321 and retired after 20 years of service. She was an ac¬tive member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville. Mary enjoyed being active and loved playing softball in her younger years. She enjoyed going fishing with her husband, gardening, sewing, and refinishing antique furniture. There wasn’t much she couldn’t catch, grow, make or make look new, and she was an amazing cook. She would have much rather gone outside to play a game of catch than go shopping any day and for this reason she was the perfect mother for five boys. She was extremely patient and had a calming presence about her, a trait that would draw people of all ages to her. Her family was her life and she did not miss any of her sons’ events as they grew up. She continued to attend many of her grandchildren’s events as long as she could. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her tremendous joy and were the bright spots on even her darkest days. Her parents, her stepfather, Clinton Kerwin, a brother, Eddie Besta and a sister, Teresa Marney, preceded Mary in death. On Oct. 5, 1963, she was united in marriage to Ron Cowan at Sacred Heart Church in Delia. They enjoyed 50 years together. Ron survives of the home. Other survivors include her five sons, John and his wife, Brigette, of Topeka, Rod and his wife, Deana, of Maple Hill, Kelly of Maple Hill, Kevin and his wife, Val, of Wichita arid Shane and his wife, Kelly, of Allen, Texas; her grandchildren, Tyler, Shelby, Corey, Lacey, Jericka, Annalyn, Kaegan, Shaemus, Grace, Ford, Shanan and Karli; two great-grandchildren, Easton and Tyce; two brothers, Bennie Besta of Rossville and Bob Kerwin and wife Susan of Topeka; her sister, Terri Kerwin of Topeka; a brother-in-law, Bob Marney of Holton; and a sister-in-law, Nancy Besta of Topeka. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 15 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville. Interment followed in the Rossville Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Stanislaus Catholic Church or Midland Hospice House and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple, St. Marys, KS 66536.
  		Birth- Besta, Mary A son was born Monday Dec. 25, to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Besta. [We believe this was reported in error as a son and is really Mary Besta.]