Donna A. Cowdrey

1943 - 2022

Donna A. (Perry) Cowdrey

June 28, 1943 - December 16, 2022

Donna A. (Perry) Cowdrey, 79, of Brownsville passed away on December 16, 2022, following heart surgery in Seattle, Washington. Donna was born on June 28, 1943, in Lebanon, Oregon, to her parents Edward and Evelyn (Dawson) Perry. Her father Edward Perry died in a logging accident in April 1950. Her mother, Evelyn, married Stanley Garwood on May 20, 1951, and it was his influence and love that shaped her life while growing up.

On November 25, 1956, Donna was baptized and became a lifelong follower of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, a relationship that was of utmost importance throughout her entire life.

On October 15, 1960, she married Dwight O. Cowdrey in Brownsville. They lived in Brownsville and graduated from Central Linn High School in June of 1961 and then moved to the Plainview area for 11 years where they began raising their three daughters. In 1972 they built their home and moved to land purchased from his family's ranch where they spent the remainder of their lives. Donna enjoyed her family, gardening, and working alongside Dwight on their land. For many years Donna played both the piano and the organ for her church family at the Brownsville Baptist Church, and for 17 years she played piano for The Gospel Lights music group as they performed weekly at the Mennonite Home in Albany.

After successfully running her own wedding cake decorating business for a number of years, Donna returned to school once her daughters were teenagers and obtained an associate's degree from Linn-Benton Community College. She used her training most recently as the office manager at Aasum Funeral Home until her retirement in 2005.

The loss of her beloved Dwight ten months prior in February 2022, quite literally broke her heart, her mitral valve. Sadly, she did not recover from the surgery to replace it. Donna was preceded in death by her mother and stepfather, Evelyn and Stanley Garwood; her sister, Yvonne (Perry) Johnson; her stepsisters, Margaret Hardeland, Clara Martin, and Donna Jean Rufener; and three grandchildren, Damon Harlow, Holly Harlow, and Patrick Fitzmorris.

Donna is survived by her three daughters, Tena Fitzmorris, Karen (Jim) Ridley, and Sharon (Dennis) Gamroth; two grandsons, Joshua (Heather) Fitzmorris and Dana (Kaylan) Harlow; two granddaughters, Haley Harlow and Jessica (Patrick) Fitzmorris; four great-granddaughters, Sierra, Makenna, Alena Fitzmorris and Addison Harlow; and great-grandson, Kane Fitzmorris; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial for Donna and Dwight will be held at a later time at the Brownsville Baptist Church.