Obituary of Charles G. Cowman

Charles G. Cowman, age 73, of Gayville, SD passed away Friday, August 14, 2015 at Centerville Care and Rehab, Centerville, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday, August 18, 2015 at the Gayville Lutheran Church, Gayville, SD with Rev. Ken Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the Gayville Cemetery. Visitations will begin at 5:00 PM, Monday, (today), August 17, 2015 at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, with a Scripture service at 7:00 PM. Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church. Charles (Chuck) Galyn Cowman was born November 7, 1941 in Yankton, SD to Manford and Edith (Eide) Cowman. His mother died on September 23, 1952 when he was only ten years old. Chuck graduated from Gayville High School in 1959 and lived in Gayville his entire life. He attended the University of South Dakota for two years. He married Judi Garvey on June 24, 1961 and to this union, five children were born: Tim, Todd, Tamara, Troy and Terry. They were married for 43 years and divorced in 2005. Chuck worked at Feed Bin (later Zip Feed Mills) in Yankton while helping his father farm land east of Gayville. He started his own business, Cowman Farm Service, in Yankton in 1972. The business closed in 1986 and he continued to farm until renting out the farm land in the 1990's. During his tenure in the Ag industry he served as President of the South Dakota Fertilizer and Agriculture Association. Chuck served on the Gayville-Volin School Board in the 1970's and early 1980's, acting as board president for many years. He was a member of the Yankton Jaycees, Toastmasters and Elks Lodge in the 1970's. He also took flying lessons and was a member of the Gayville Lutheran Church. Chuck enjoyed going to the local café for coffee and playing cards. He enjoyed traveling, especially to Cowman family reunions. He had several extended stays with family on the west coast when the weather was cold in South Dakota. His favorite pastime was cherished moments with his grandchildren. He also enjoyed playing pinochle and debating politics. Chuck is survived by his four sons: Tim (Kim) Cowman of Vermillion, SD, Todd (Lori) Cowman of Yankton, SD, Troy Cowman (fiancé, Tosha Ptak) of Yankton, SD and Terry (Sarah) Cowman of Winterset, IA; one daughter, Tamara (Duane) Lee of Gayville, SD; two sisters, Karen Olson of Yankton, SD and Ruth (Jerry) Wuebben of Gayville, SD; fifteen grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren, many nephews, nieces and close cousins. Chuck was preceded in death by his mother, Edith (1952), father, Manford (1990) and sister, Judy (1996).