Lady Sylvania Cowles

COWLES, PHILBY, KAUZLARICH, FISHER, RANES, ARBOGAST, SEDDON, DOVE, TURNER

Posted By: Lisa O'Sullivan (email)
Date: 8/19/2023 at 22:32:24

Centerville Iowegian
Monday, March 4, 1857
Page 5

Obituary

Lady Sylvania Cowles, daughter of Sarah Ann and Thomas Philby, was born Sept. 18, 1875 at Marseilles, Ill., and departed this life Jan. 8, 1957 at her home on Route 1 Mystic, Iowa at the age of 81 years, 3 months, 21 days.

When a small child she moved with her parents to Brazil, Iowa, where she grew to womanhood, when thirteen years old she was baptised (sic) at Brazil Methodist Church and gave her life to Christ. She was once a member of the Rebekah lodge at Mystic, also the Pythian Sisters.

On November 2, 1897, she was united in marriage to John W. Cowles at the home of her parents by Rev. P. Breeding of Mystic, Iowa. To this union ten children were born, two sons Thomas and William preceded her in death, also her parents, one sister and four brothers. Those left to mourn her passing are her husband John, six daughters, Anna Kauzlarich, Mary Fisher, Emma Ranes, Alice Arbogast, Frances Seddon, Lera Dove, also two sons, Charles Cowles and Robers Cowles, seventeen grandchildren, eighteen great grandchildren, on sister Mrs. Alice Turner, Centerville, Ia., a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Services were conducted Sunday Jan. 13, 1957 at 2 p.m. at the Mystic Methodist church with Rev. Glen Lockhead of Mystic officiating. Two beautiful hymns "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Peacful Slumber" were sung by Meredith Griffing accompanied by Irene Hefner.

This poem was part of Service

My Mother

She carried my under her heart;
Loved me before I was born:-
Took God's hand in hers and walked through the valley of Shadows that I might live;-
Bathed me when I was helpless;
Clothed me when I was naked;-
Gave me warm milk from her own body when I was hungry;
Rocked me to sleep when I was weary;-
Pilowed (sic) me on pillows softer than down, and sang to me in the voice of an angel;-
Held my hand when I learned to walk;
Nursed my when I was sick;-
Suffered with my sorrow;-
Laughed with my joy;-
Glowed with my triumph;-and while I knelt at her side, she taught my lips to pray.
Through all the days of my youth she gave strength for my weakness, courage for my despair, and hope to fill my hopeless heart;
Was loyal when others failed;-
Was true when tried by fire;-
Was my friend when other friends were gone;-
Prayed for me through all the days, when flooded with sunshine or saddened by shadows;
Loved me when I was unlovely, and led me into man's estate to walk triumphant on the King's Highway and play a manly part, Though we lay down our lives for her we can never pay the debt we owe to our Christian Mother.

Pallbearers were her six grandsons, Leon Kauzlarich, Thomas Fisher, Charles Cowles, Jerry Seddon, Bob Middleton and Larry Dove.

She was laid to rest int he Highland cemetery at Mystic, Ia.