William Erwin Cowden, Sr.

William Erwin Cowden, Sr., 91, of Washington, died on Friday, August 8, 2014, in the Canonsburg Hospital. He was born on August 6, 1923, in McDonald, Mt. Pleasant Township, a son of J. Lawrence and Thelma Rumbaugh Cowden. A 1941 graduate of Hickory High School, he was a member of North Buffalo Presbyterian Church, where he served as a trustee. Mr. Cowden was a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he served at the Ordinance Installation, in Aberdeen, MD, and at Red River Arsenal, in Texarkana, TX. In May, 1952, he was selected to attend the Pennsylvania Game Commission Ross Leffler School of Conservation for Wildlife Conservation Officers. He graduated in 1953, and was assigned to Western Greene County. In 1956, he transferred to the Western District of Washington County. Mr. Cowden was instrumental in acquiring several hundred acres of State Game Lands, for public hunting, in the Pine Bank and Nettle Hill are of Greene County, and the West Finley and Claysville areas of Washington County. He later worked in the insurance industry, until 1972, when he returned to Civil Service. He retired from California State University, as Director of Security. Mr. Cowden was a member of the National Rifle Association, and the American Legion Post 0945, in Wormleysburg. He enjoyed his time working on the family farm. On November 27, 1942, he married Lois K. Miller, who survives. Also surviving are four children, Sandra L. (David) Thomas, William E. (Kathleen) Cowden, Jr., Bradley M. (Barbara) Cowden, and Joyce (Tim) Inglis; four grandchildren, Melissa (Tim) Meredith, William M. (Jen) Cowden, Stefanie (Chris) Kulla, and Julie (Chad) Durbin, ten great grandchildren, a sister, Belva White, and a brother, Russell Cowden. Deceased are four sisters, Ila Snyder, Lois King, Evelyn Athey, and Nancy Schmidt, and two brothers, Alvin and J. Lawrence Cowden. Friends will be received on Tuesday, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m., in the William G. Neal Funeral Homes, Ltd., 925 Allison Ave., Washington, where services will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, with Pastor Gary Gibson officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Prospect Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Washington Health System Foundation, 155 Wilson Avenue Washington, PA 15301