Jerry Rowan

Jerry Lee Rowan, age 83, died peacefully at the Lakewood Care Center, Staples, MN, on May 23, 2024, under the care of Hospice. Memorial Services will be held on Tuesday, May 28th, 2024, at 11:00 am with visitation one hour prior to the service at Karvonen Funeral Home in Wadena, MN, with Chaplain Paul Johnson officiating. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Jerry’s life.

Jerry was born on Jan. 8, 1941, to parents Edwin and Neioma Rowan, on a farm three and half miles south of Wadena, Minnesota. In 1961, he married his childhood sweetheart, Leone Pearson. They farmed and had dairy cows for nearly 40 years, with lots of side gigs to fund their travel and toys.

For many years, they grew 15 acres of sweetcorn, employing family, friends, and neighbor kids who picked truckloads of corn every morning and sold it out of the backs of trailers and pickups across the region.

Jerry was proud of his 43 years of sobriety, and he mentored and supported many men and women in their recovery. He will be remembered for his mischievous smile, his hard work ethic, his determination to break the rules, and his belief that anything can be improved with a lot of glue, extra parts, a little welding, and two or three cup holders.

He is survived by his wife, Leone; children: Tammy (Tim) Noteboom of Moorhead, MN, and Mike (Amy) Rowan of Tucson, AZ; grandchildren: Adam (Abby) Rowan of Delano, MN, Ben Noteboom of Valley City, ND, and Jordan (Sierra) Rowan of Elk River, MN; great grandchildren: Ellie Rowan and Lawson Rowan; in-laws: Carol Rowan, Herman Deckert, Dave (Judy) Pearson, Barb Finn, and Shirley (Gene) Seaver; many nieces, nephews, a host of friends, and two special neighbor girls who called him Grandpa, Samantha and Emma.

He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Robert Rowan and Arlene Deckert, in-laws Agnes and J.C. Pearson, and brother-in-law Alvin Finn.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Lakewood Care Center and Hospice, 401 Prairie Ave. NW, Staples, MN 56579. The family would like to thank all the staff at Lakewood Care Center and Hospice for their wonderful care and support.

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