Betty Lou (Beasy) Cowan

Betty Lou Beasy Cowan, of Madisonville, TX, died peacefully at the age of 92 on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2019 at 10:20 p.m. in the Brazos Valley Hospice Inpatient Facility in Bryan, TX. She went to be with our Lord and Savior just in time to spend Valentine's Day with her beloved husband, Jerald Cowan, and son James Cowan.

Betty is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Cowan Dyer (Larry) of Bryan, TX and her daughter-in-law, Debra Jeffries Cowan of Midway, TX; her grandchildren, Lacey Hunt of Bryan, TX, Jimmy Dyer (Katherine) of Leander, TX, Robert Coleman (Brandy) of Teague, TX and Travis Coleman (Heather) of Madisonville, TX; her great-grandchildren, Houston and Brooklyn Hunt, Kaden Dyer, Kyle, Micah, and Ryan Coleman, Joe, Brent, Shelby, and Tedi Rene' Blassingame, and Weston Coleman; her sisters, Louella Gibbons of Alma, MI, Norma Doyle of West Lafayette, IN, Saundra Pearson of Monticello, IN, and Mary Green of Monon, IN and her brother, Robert Beasy of Kenosha, WI. Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Dorothy Beasy, her brothers, John Beasy, Albert Beasy, Joe Beasy and her sister, Marcella Smith; her loving husband of 51 years, Jerald D. Cowan and her sweet son, James Dean Cowan.

Betty was born July 2, 1926 at home on the family farm in Monon, IN to Clarence Jennings Beasy and Dorothy Gladys Wolf Beasy. She was the fifth of ten children blessed to Clarence and Dorothy. There were four boys and six girls in her family. Betty went to Elementary, Jr High and High School in Monon, IN. She graduated from Monon High School in April of 1944. After graduation she worked at a factory in South Bend, IN on an assembly line making four buckle boots for the US Army and Navy for one year during World War II. After a year of making boots she decided she wanted to do more in life and help people. In 1945, she decided to go to St. Elizabeth Hospital's School of Nursing in Lafayette, IN where she trained to be a US Army cadet nurse and graduated in August of 1948. After graduation from nursing school World War II was over so she worked at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Labor and Delivery until 1952 when she left and went to work at Wyandotte Hospital in Wyandotte, MI. While at Wyandotte Hospital she worked first on a surgical floor and then on a medical floor. In 1954 a resident Doctor in Family Practice was opening an office in Norway, MI and asked Betty to be his office nurse. She worked there in his office for a few years until July of 1957 when she went to Anesthesia School at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, MO. She graduated from Anesthesia School in December of 1958 and went to work at Carle Clinic in Urbana, IL as a Nurse Anesthetist. In 1962, she met her husband, Jerald, while they were both taking ballroom dancing lessons. Jerald had already been in the US Air Force for 13 years and was single. Betty was single as well, so the two hit it off and were married on April 26, 1963. In September of 1963 Jerald was transferred to Anchorage, AK where Betty worked in anesthesia at the Community Hospital. They were stationed there during the big earthquake of 1964 which was quite scary for them both. Their daughter, Jennifer, was born there in Alaska in 1965 and James was born there in 1967. James was only four months old when they left Anchorage, AK driving down the ALCAN Highway, camping out along the way, in their Rambler Station Wagon as they made their way to Blytheville, AR where Jerald was transferred to another US Air Force Base. Betty worked in anesthesia at the local hospital there for a year until they were transferred to the US Air Force Base in Puerto Rico. Betty didn't work at a hospital for two years while they were stationed in Puerto Rico but she did volunteer at a local orphanage on a weekly basis while raising Jennifer and James. When Jerald retired from the US Air Force in 1970, they settled in Madisonville, TX where Betty worked as the only Anesthetist for 17 years at the Madison County Hospital. She retired from the Madison County Hospital in October of 1987. After retirement Betty and Jerald traveled all over the United States seeing lots of major landmarks and sites. They especially loved camping in their travel trailer. Betty was an excellent cook and seamstress who also loved to make jewelry and crafts. She also liked to play solitaire to keep her brain active. She was a member of the Madisonville Hwy 90 Church of Christ for 49 years. She was a selfless, caring, thoughtful, loving, kind-hearted, supportive, generous, friendly, gentle person who was devoted to her husband and doted on her children, grand children and great-grandchildren her entire life. Her gorgeous blue eyes, beautiful smile and constant service attitude will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A visitation will be held at Madisonville Funeral Home from 5 to 7 pm, Wednesday, February 20th. Funeral services will be held at Madisonville Funeral Home on Thursday, February 21st at 11:00 am. with Luther Bolenbarker officiating and Ron Treat leading the songs. Burial will be held at the Madisonville City Cemetery immediately after the funeral.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice Brazos Valley or Highway 90 Church of Christ.

Arrangements are under the direction of Madisonville Funeral Home in Madisonville, Texas.