Jack Rowland

1915 - 2010

Jack Rowland, 94, was a native of Eugene. There may be only a few of the older church members and city residents who remember Jack and can relate to some of the historical events of Memorial Pioneer Cemetery where Jack's family are buried. His father, Otto, his mother, Verna, and his uncle, Virgil, had a draying business in Eugene. His Aunt May Rowland Kuykendall was the second wife of Dr. William Kuykendall, a physician buried at U of O who was president of the Oregon Senate in 1905 and taught at Willamette University. He was a friend of R.A. Booth, a prominent Eugene lumberman who donated the statue of the Circuit Rider on the Capitol grounds. Both men were Methodists, served in the Oregon Senate together, and attended First Methodist Church in Salem and Eugene. Jack's grandfather, John Rowland, a Eugene builder, donated land on which First Methodist Church in downtown Eugene was built.

Jack was born in Eugene on Oct. 28th, 1915. As a youth he enjoyed boating and mountain climbing, having climbed the Middle Sister. He was a member of the Wesley Foundation on the U of O campus that was founded in the 1930s. The second director at that time was Dorothy Nyland while Cecil Ristow served First Church as minister. Jack was in the choir at First Methodist Church.

After Jack had graduated from University High in 1934, he spent two years at the U of O. Since they had no course in physics there he spent the last two years at Oregon State.

He was a fan of both the University of Oregon and Oregon State football teams. Several years following he became a bee keeper with as many as 100 hives. He was employed at the Lane County Courthouse photographing deeds when some highway engineers were there working on a mathematical problem which he solved for them. As a result, he was hired by the Oregon State Highway Department as it was known at that time and became a registered engineer.

Jack was married in Portland at Fremont U. Methodist Church, Dec. 25, 1949 to Mildred Coleman, a librarian; then was sent by the State Highway Department to do surveying for the construction of Interstate 5 in areas around Grants Pass, Medford, and Roseburg, cities where he and the family lived for 8 years. In 1957 while serving as Resident Engineer at Roseburg, he and his crew were called to the headquarters in Salem where he became Chief Locating Engineer for a term then served as Head of the Construction Planning Office.

In addition to this, after the family had lived in Salem for nearly a year, Jack bought a farm and had a house built on top of the hill. He enjoyed many projects there including gardening, crops and raising sheep along with carpentry and welding.

Jack always had an interest in scientific studies since he was a member of the Planetary Society and supported a number of scientific foundations. He was a member of the United Methodist Church and also upheld the cause of the American Friends Service Committee and Doctors Without Borders.

He is survived by his wife, Mildred Coleman Rowland; daughters: Ellen Langsather, Wendy Rowland, of Salem, and a son, Roy Rowland, of Corvallis; two nieces and two nephews who live in Washington State. A sister, Dorothy Rowland Willard of Seattle preceded his passing.

Jack died on February 6th at a nursing care home with his family by his side.

He will be missed by those who knew and loved him.

There will be a graveside service at the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in Eugene on February 20th at 11:00 a.m. with a memorial Service to be held later at 11:00 a.m. on March 6th at the United Methodist Church in Amity, Oregon. Arrangements Entrusted to Keizer Funeral Chapel.Please sign the guest book at www.registerguard.com/legacy