Deborah Jane Hoffarth McGownd, 102, the 10th of 11 children of Charles Henry and Mary Alice Mitcham Hoffarth, was born Feb. 2, 1905, at Belle. She died April 27, 2007.
The family moved to the Fowler community when she was 4 and she attended Fowler school, graduating from the eighth grade.
She married John “Sandy” McGownd Feb. 13, 1932. They lived all of their life in Texas County, owning various farms.
In 1952, they purchased the Bendavis store, which they operated for 40 years. In 1991, due to Mr. McGownd’s health, they moved to Houston Housing. After his death in 1994, she later became a resident at Houston House.
She was baptized into Christ at an early age and attended congregations of the Church of Christ at Bendavis and Houston as long as her health permitted.
She loved church, her store, reading, singing, crossword puzzles, crocheting and visiting with family and friends. She especialy loved weighing babies on her meat scales.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Oscar, Orville, Lewis, Chris, Oren and Don; sisters, Mattie, Addie, Gusta and Mable; her oldest son, Delmas; and two great-grandchildren.
Surviving are her children, John of Mountain Grove, Mary Ellen Gentry of Houston and Erma Jane Williams of Fulton; nine grandchildren,15 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services were April 30 at the Evans Funeral Home Chapel with Ed Williamson officiating. Burial was in the Fowler Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Fowler Cemetery Association.
