Virginia Cowan
1922 – 2024
On Sunday, August 25, 2024, Virginia Cowan of Edmond, Oklahoma, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt passed away peacefully at the age of 102. Virginia was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ. In her remarkable life she weathered many storms, but also enjoyed a lot of wonderful times. She grew up during the depression on a farm, near the town of Shamrock, in the panhandle of Texas where, as the oldest child, she led her 3 younger brothers and sister in picking cotton and all the chores that come with farm life.
Following high school graduation, she began studying to become a nurse while still in Shamrock and later she moved to Oklahoma City to further her training. Not long after she arrived in OKC, World War II erupted so she went to work at Douglas Aircraft in Midwest City to do her part in aiding the war efforts. Her job was to attach the wings to the fuselage of the C-47 planes. She said she went to work in white overalls and came home in dingy gray ones!
Virginia married Carly Parrish in 1945. Carly was in the Army with orders to deploy to Europe to fight in the war; but fortunately, the war ended while he was on the ship crossing the Atlantic. After his tour, the new couple moved to California where they had 2 boys, Mark and Paul, and life was good. Sadly, on a trip back to Texas, Carly tragically drowned at a family get-together, leaving Virginia with the 2 small boys. Virginia returned to Texas, and after a time, was asked by a doctor she worked for to move to Hale Center, Texas, to work for his practice there.
It was a few years later, in 1957, Virginia married Gene White, and shortly after they had their son, Jon. Not long after they were Married, Gene was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor and he sadly passed away only 16 months after their marriage began.
In 1961, she married Leroy Cowan, a Church of Christ minister, who sadly had lost his wife leaving him with 2 children, Carolyn and Joe. Together, Leroy and Virginia had a daughter named Jan, which made them into a happy couple with 6 kids ranging in age from newborn to 15 years old, with 4 teenagers at one time!
Virginia was a tremendous homemaker and wife to Leroy. Her hospitality was seemingly never-ending, having people over frequently to enjoy her wonderful cooking. In their empty nest years, Virginia continued to love her life with Leroy, as they traveled and enjoyed camping trips with family and friends. Later they joined the Sojourners, a group that would travel to small towns around the country to help Churches of Christ with a variety of things such as remodeling and Vacation Bible School.
On any given day of her life Virginia could be found being a light to those around her. She valued the gift of life and love, using her time and talents to help people in any way she was able, visiting shut-ins, making meals for funerals, or sending cards of encouragement or sympathy to those who had lost someone. If you knew Virginia, you know how much she loved greeting cards—sending them just as much as receiving them! Each of her 14 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren could always count on a “Happy Birthday” card from their grandma. She took time to make every one of her grandchildren and great grandchildren feel so very loved in a way that assured them they held their own special place in her heart.
Virginia was preceded in death by her parents, John and Mary Bennett; 3 brothers, Baby boy Bennett, Baxter Van Bennett and John Bennett; A sister, Genevieve Liddell; 3 husbands, Carly Parrish, Gene White and Leroy Cowan; son Mark Parrish; stepdaughter Carolyn Hook; and daughter-in-law Lydia Cowan, wife of Joe.
She is survived by brothers Keith Bennett and Jerry Bennett; stepson Joe Cowan, son Paul Parrish, son Jon White and his wife Doris; daughter Jan Arcidy and her husband Al; son-in-law Walton Hook; 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Public visitation will be held Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, OK. A memorial service will be held at Memorial Road Church of Christ at 2 o’clock on Friday, August 30, 2024 with interment to follow at Gracelawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes to honor Virginia through memorial gifts to give to “In Search of the Lord’s Way”.