Marlene Rose Cowan

1940 - 2025

Marlene Rose Cowan

December 12, 1940 - May 11, 2025

Modesto, California - It is with a sense of great loss that we announce the passing of Marlene R. Cowan. After a three year battle with a difficult illness Marlene passed away at home with her husband, Jeff, daughter, Elizabeth, and son, Jeff, Jr. by her side.

Marlene was born on December 12, 1940 in Hutchinson, Kansas to parents Roy Conrad and O'Tillie Votruba Lindell. Her parents and her younger brother Dr. Steve Lindell predecease her. Hutchinson was the quintessential midwest farm town: home of the Kansas State Fair, towering grain elevators, and a vast underground salt mine. Marlene graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1958 where she was active in student government. The school mascot was the Salt Hawks and Marlene was a member of the song leaders: The Briny Birds.

Looking forward to college, Marlene was accepted to Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. She enrolled in the fall of 1958 as an English major with a minor in philosophy.

She was an excellent student graduating in January 1963 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Her social life centered on being a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority where she made life long friends. Her parents had moved to Salina, Kansas where her father was a water systems engineer at Schilling Air Force Base, a Strategic Air Command base with B-47 bombers and Atlas F missiles on alert during the Cold War. After graduation, Marlene earned her teaching credential at Marymount College in Salina.

There were hundreds of young officers assigned to the base many of them recent college graduates, single, and living in bachelor officer's quarters (BOQs) on base. In early 1964 at a social event at the base officer's club that Marlene was attending with some other student teachers, she met one of the young officers.

They dated for several months and an engagement soon ensued.

On December 28, 1964 Marlene married Second Lieutenant Jeffrey P. Cowan. They married over Christmas break as Marlene was teaching high school English at Bennington High School a small town a few miles north of Salina. After a short honeymoon they moved into a duplex in Salina. Just before their marriage the Department of Defense announced that Schilling AFB would be closed in 1965. In early 1966 he was transferred to Offutt AFB at SAC Headquarters in Bellevue, Nebraska an Omaha suburb. Marlene was hired as an English teacher at Bellevue College. On September 30, 1967 Elizabeth Carolyn Cowan was born at the base hospital.

Jeff's tour of duty ended in November and the three of them moved to Modesto, Jeff's home, where he joined the family business, House of Carpets. On September 7, 1969 Jeffrey Paul Cowan, Jr. was born. Once her children were in school Marlene became a part-time Independent Studies teacher for Modesto City Schools. She loved working one on one with students that had struggled in a traditional classroom. At the same time she was involved in Elizabeth's and Jeffrey's school activities. Elizabeth was an excellent student and after graduating from Beyer High School was accepted at UC Davis where she graduated in 1989. While at UC Davis Elizabeth became a member of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority as her mother had at KState. Marlene had always loved her college life and was further enthralled when Jeff, Jr., after also graduating from Beyer High School was accepted at UCLA. Elizabeth met her future husband, George teVelde at UC Davis. They were married in 1990.

Marlene was blessed with six grandchildren: Madeleine Sand Georgia Jackson, Charlotte teVelde, Nicholas teVelde; grandson-in-law Scott Sand, grandson-in-law Travis Jackson all Escalon residents; Giselle Cowan and Anna Cowan of Falls Church, VA. And two great grandchildren: Evan and Mollie Sand. The grandchildren affectionately called her "Boppi".

Marlene was a consummate reader frequently reading several books at a time: a murder mystery and a philosophy treatise. She was a member of MICL (Modesto Institute of Continued Learning) for many years. She always looked forward to reading to her grandchildren when they were young and instilling the love of books. Marlene was an accomplished writer and author of a series of essays about her youth, college, family, Kansas and other topics. "Reflections" second edition was hardbound published for family and friends in 2020. She enjoyed attending Modesto Symphony concerts with her husband.

She was the beloved wife of Jeff for over 60 years. She enjoyed many trips to Europe especially connecting with relatives in Sweden. Her favorite getaway was the family cabin in Strawberry where she spent time quietly reading and/or enjoying family gatherings.

Private services were previously held. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to Community Hospice, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356.