George Mowry

1931 - 2017

George Laurence Nelson Mowry
September 9, 1931 - April 9, 2017
George Mowry was born September 9, 1931 in Minot, North Dakota, to George L. and Grace Nelson Mowry. He grew up in North Dakota and Minnesota in a Nazarene parsonage with two younger siblings, Jim Mowry and Joanne (Mowry) Simmons. He died on Palm Sunday, April 9, in a care facility in Caldwell, with his family around him.
George graduated from Redwood Falls High School in 1949 and and began his college career at Northwest Nazarene College. He graduated from NNC in 1953. While at NNC, he directed a college pep band and was president of the Olympian Society. He graduated from the University of Idaho with an M.Ed in Music Education in 1954. During his graduate study he taught music in a number of small school districts near Moscow. He was drafted into the Army in 1954 and served as a bugler and in an army band in Germany, affording travel opportunities to Europe and the Middle East. From 1956-58, he taught high school music in West Bend Iowa - a real "Music Man." In 1959, he completed a second master's degree from Vandercook School of Music in Chicago. In August of 1959, he married the love of his life, Sharon Hartley, in Boise, Idaho. To that marriage were born one daughter and three sons. George was a music teacher for several years and also served many churches in music ministry. Over the years, he moved into full-time ministry, serving churches in Oregon, Idaho, California and Washington, both in worship and in evangelism and discipleship. His favorite challenge to choir members as they entered the sanctuary was "Give 'em Heaven!"
George was characterized by his love of the Lord and his love for people, and he enjoyed nothing more than bringing these two together. He was often called a "Christian Social Worker." Meeting the needs of people for food or furniture or friendship brought him great joy. He actually had hernia surgery as a result of his prodigious "moving ministry." George had a love of adventure and travel and visited all 50 states and many countries. Every activity was more fun and more work when he was around. He loved including his children and eleven grandchildren in any number of projects, usually in service to others. He often roped friends and colleagues into these enterprises as well, earning the title of "Tom Sawyer." All four of his children have followed him and the Lord into ministry.
George is survived by his wife Sharon of Nampa, a brother, Dr. James N. Mowry, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, a sister, Joanne Simmons, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, a daughter, Elizabeth (Mark) Potter of Napa, CA., and granddaughters, Kat (San Diego, CA) Megan, (Nampa, ID) and Eileen, a son, George Douglas (Aggie) Mowry of Richland, WA and grandchildren, Sarah (Tyler) Butler of Seattle, WA, George Timothy (Rachel) Mowry of Richland, WA, and Hannah of Ellensburg, WA, a son, Jon (Kathy) Mowry of Nashville, TN, and grandchildren, Jonathan, Emily, and Julia, a son, David (Melissa) Mowry of Twin Falls, Idaho and grandchildren, Camilla (Nampa, Id) and Blake, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Neil and Marilyn McKay of Nampa, Idaho and sister-in-law, Phyllis Howard, of Caldwell, Idaho.
There will be a time of visitation and a viewing at the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel, 415 12th Ave. So. - 442-8171 on Thursday, April 13, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. A Funeral Service will be at the Nampa First Church of the Nazarene, 601 16th Ave. So. in the Family Life Center on Friday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m. with military honors by personnel from the Idaho Army National Guard. Burial will take place at the Dry Creek Cemetery at 3 PM on Friday. An online guest book is available at www.nampafuneralhome.com Memorial donations may be made to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Refugee Project (www.ncm.org) or Room in the Inn, 705 Drexel St., Nashville, TN, www.roomintheinn.org. (Jon Mowry is Day Services Manager at this agency serving the needs of the homeless population in Nashville.)