SOWERS, Cleo Ann

Wickenburg Funeral Home & Crematory Wickenburg, Arizona Cleo Ann Sowers June 26, 1925 - December 26, 2011 Cleo Ann Sowers, age 86, passed away Dec. 26, 2011 in Olathe, Colorado. She was born June 26, 1925 in Covington, Indiana to Elmer Grubbs and Ethyl Osborn Grubbs. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of the Methodist Church. Cleo was preceded in death by her husband John Thomas Sowers on February 16, 1990 and grandson, John W. Sowers. She is survived by Children: Edith (Craig) Bennett of Orange, CA, Lisa (Jon) Harlan of Olathe, CO, John (Sarah) Sowers of Miami, AZ and Kent (Lynn) Sowers of Goodyear, AZ and grandchildren: Andi Fourlis, Joe Komarinski, Emily Sowers, Aaron Sowers, Scott Harlan, Virginia Lasley and 11 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2012 at 11:00 AM at Wickenburg Funeral Home with interment to follow in the Wickenburg Municipal Cemetery. ~~~~~~~~~ The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, Arizona Wednesday, January, 11, 2012 Cleo Ann Sowers has been laid to rest next to her husband, John T., in Wickenburg Cemetery. She passed away in Western Colorado on Dec. 26 at the age of 86. A family service was conducted at Wickenburg Funeral Home. It was led by the Rev. Doug Hill, formerly of Olathe (Colo.) Methodist Church, where she was a member. Mrs. Sowers was born June 26, 1925. Her parents were Elmer and Ethel Grubbs, who owned and operated a general store in rural Indiana where she grew up and attended Indiana State University for three years. She married John T., her high school sweetheart, on Feb. 2, 1945, after he returned from serving with the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific during World War II. She was an Arizonan for more than 50 years after the couple moved their family from Illinois in 1955. They chose Wickenburg as their retirement home, where Mr. Sowers died in 1990. Mrs. Sowers was a member of the Wickenburg Lioness Club. She also was a long-time member of an Indiana chapter of the Order of Eastern Star. Upon leaving Wickenburg, she lived at Top of the World, near Globe/Miami, and in Olathe, Colo. A lifelong baseball fan, she enjoyed attending games and watching her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, on television. She was an advocate of education and an avid reader who was eager to discuss books and authors with family and friends. She also looked forward to picnics and camping and summer vacations in the pines. As an animal lover she supported humane society causes. She always had at least one dog as a companion, from Fido as a young girl to dachshund Gus, who was beside her most recently. In addition to being a mother and wife, she also worked in retail trades, in a bank home office and as an assistant to a produce broker. A Methodist, she taught Sunday School for several years at Central Methodist Church in Phoenix. Survivors include her daughters Edith Bennett (Craig) of Orange, Calif., and Lisa Harlan (Jon) of Olathe, and her sons John W. (Sarah) of Top of the World and Kent (Lynn) of Goodyear. She also is survived by grandchildren Andi Fourlis, Emily Sowers and Aaron Sowers of Arizona; Joe Komarinski of California; and Scott Harlan and Virginia Lasley of Colorado; and by 11 great-grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a grandson, Dr. John M. Sowers, in 2005.