Mrs. Jimmie Lou Cowen was laid to rest yesterday, Feb. 29, at New Ebenezer (Curtis) cemetery between Elba and Opp, AL, in the area where she was born and spent all of her 89 years. Our family and her family grew up together. Her oldest daughter Janice and I were the same age and the oldest child in each family. Her 10 children and the 7 children in my family are like one big family. She had 6 girls and 4 boys and all are living except one daughter Corinne who died of cancer a few years ago. Miss Jimmie Lou never got over her death. Her husband, Enoch Cowen died in 1984. They were married 54 years.
The funeral was held at New Ebenezer Baptist church where she was a member all her life and the current pastor and a past pastor talked about the life she led and so many personal things that they wanted to share. One was that they never heard say anything bad about anybody, ever.
Picture here with her are son Jeff and his wife Sharon and Mary, who is sitting next to her mother.
Miss Jimmie Lou's house was always open for people to stop by to visit and eat some of her delicious teacakes or 7 layer chocolate cake which she always had on hand to share. She was a great cook.
When we moved to our farm in 1996, it was like coming home again after being away for 42 years and living by her again. She and my mother had been best friends and mother had died in 1963 and I like to think that I filled the void when I came back. Miss Jimmie Lou and I saw each other almost every day and talked on the phone. When I had my knee replaced in 1997, she would cook food and bring to us and then when I had to go to the hospital for therapy, she took me there for about 4 weeks, until I could drive again. We would always call each other before going to town (8 miles one way) and see if we needed anything, and usually we did.
She shared news of her children and grandchildren and showed me pictures of the new babies, etc. She had 27 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren, including twins born to Ed's son Eddie and his wife about 3 weeks ago.
When I was growing up, I remember that on Sat. afternoons she would become the beauty operator and rolled hair for some of the ladies (Dot Donaldson and Maggie Donaldson). At other times she would give home permanents to ladies in the community. She sewed and made her daughters dresses and clothes for others sometimes. She had a big freezer and it was always full of things she kept there to cook delicious meals for her children when they would come to visit. The things I remember most were her tea cakes and 7 layer chocolate cakes. I have her recipe for making the thin chocolate icing she made for her cakes. I could never duplicate her dumplings.
I helped the WMU ladies at the church put together a family cookbook a few years ago and it contains many of Miss Jimmie Lou's recipes. Her dishes were always sought out at the pot luck dinners at church and reunions. I especially remember her delicious chicken and dressing. In the picture below, only Sara Donaldson and Dot Daniels are still living. Dot is around 89.
The funeral was held at New Ebenezer Baptist church where she was a member all her life and the current pastor and a past pastor talked about the life she led and so many personal things that they wanted to share. One was that they never heard say anything bad about anybody, ever.
Picture here with her are son Jeff and his wife Sharon and Mary, who is sitting next to her mother.
Miss Jimmie Lou's house was always open for people to stop by to visit and eat some of her delicious teacakes or 7 layer chocolate cake which she always had on hand to share. She was a great cook.
When we moved to our farm in 1996, it was like coming home again after being away for 42 years and living by her again. She and my mother had been best friends and mother had died in 1963 and I like to think that I filled the void when I came back. Miss Jimmie Lou and I saw each other almost every day and talked on the phone. When I had my knee replaced in 1997, she would cook food and bring to us and then when I had to go to the hospital for therapy, she took me there for about 4 weeks, until I could drive again. We would always call each other before going to town (8 miles one way) and see if we needed anything, and usually we did.
She shared news of her children and grandchildren and showed me pictures of the new babies, etc. She had 27 grandchildren and 41 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren, including twins born to Ed's son Eddie and his wife about 3 weeks ago.When I was growing up, I remember that on Sat. afternoons she would become the beauty operator and rolled hair for some of the ladies (Dot Donaldson and Maggie Donaldson). At other times she would give home permanents to ladies in the community. She sewed and made her daughters dresses and clothes for others sometimes. She had a big freezer and it was always full of things she kept there to cook delicious meals for her children when they would come to visit. The things I remember most were her tea cakes and 7 layer chocolate cakes. I have her recipe for making the thin chocolate icing she made for her cakes. I could never duplicate her dumplings.
I helped the WMU ladies at the church put together a family cookbook a few years ago and it contains many of Miss Jimmie Lou's recipes. Her dishes were always sought out at the pot luck dinners at church and reunions. I especially remember her delicious chicken and dressing. In the picture below, only Sara Donaldson and Dot Daniels are still living. Dot is around 89.
Miss Jimmie Lou was a beautiful lady and loved pretty clothes. Until just the past few weeks, she went to the beauty shop every Wed. to get her hair shampooed and styled. She wanted to look nice; and she did.She is pictured here on the right, along with Lucille Foley.
I will miss her telephone calls, asking about my sisters who live far away. Or to tell me that one of her children would be coming for a visit (that lived away from this area). She used to bake things to send to her son Charles in Tennessee. She looked after her 4 boys, and they were attentive to their mother. In later years the girls all took turns looking after their mother and the last few months took turns staying with her.
Curtis community will not be the same anymore with Miss Jimmie Lou gone. She has joined others who were still living when we retired and came back to Elba area. These include Dot Donaldson, Jessie Lee Donaldson, Lena Grimes, Bernice Grimes, and others.
