Dianne Mae Cowden went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 27, 2017. Dianne was born in Sumas on March 7, 1930, a daughter of August and Dorothy Wellbrock. She married her high school sweetheart, Leonard Cowden, on Dec. 24, 1950 at Rome Chapel after the Christmas Eve service.
Dianne spent her entire life in Whatcom County. She graduated from Mount Baker High School and was a member of Calvary Temple for many years and, later on, Word of Life and most recently Life Church. Dianne enjoyed sightseeing, taking scenic pictures, growing beautiful flowers in her garden, Southern Gospel music, cooking (she was a great cook!) and caring for her family. Dianne was at her husband’s side while they built the family business, Cowden Gravel and Ready Mix, starting in 1953 with a hand shovel and an old broken-down county surplus gravel truck.
Dianne is survived by her husband of 66 years, Leonard; daughters Cheri (Spencer) Johnson, Valarie Barker and Cathy (Ron) Groen, and son Steven (Karla) Cowden; grandchildren Jeremy (Heather) TenKley, Kyle (Angela) TenKley, LaRenda TenKley, Zachary (Tammy) Barker, Jamin (Kelsie) Barker, Karissa (Adam) Brown, Nicole Antle, Nicole (Ueleni) Halaapiapi-Groen, Cameron (Jennie) Groen, Carston (Hannah) Groen, Deryk (Chelsey) Cowden, Ryan (Jessica) Cowden, Brent (Lynzi) Cowden, and Kylee (Darrell) Visser; 37 great-great-grandchildren; her sister, Francis Harig; sister-in-law Joan Cowden; brother-in-law Kenneth Cowden; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Dianne was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Mervin, Clifford and Junior Wellbrock, and sons-in-law Michael TenKley and Norman Barker.
Graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Monday June 5, in Greenacres Memorial Park, 5700 Northwest Dr., Ferndale. A celebration of life will follow at 2:30 p.m. Monday, in Christ the King church, 4173 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA 98226.
Memorials in Dianne’s name may be mailed to Life Church, 747 Marine Dr., Bellingham, WA 98225. Please share your thoughts and memories online at www.sigsfuneralservices.com.
