Katherine Rowland

Katherine Lollar Rowland was born September 24, 1918 on a farm near Lebanon, Ohio, the child of Ruby Miller and Harry David Lollar. After attending Ridge School and Lebanon High she went to Cincinnati and graduated from the Littleford-Nelson School of Business. She was married to Elden Heart Rowland on May 13, 1939 and lived in Cincinnati through the war years. In 1945 she and Elden packed their small camper and took off for Cape Cod. She worked as a secretary for writers such as Robert Nathan and Eric Hodgins while her husband studied art (painting) with several well-known artists on locations from Cape Cod to Sarasota, Florida. In 1948 they built a home on Siesta Key at Sarasota and she worked as a secretary for railroad executive Ralph Caples and later as the executive secretary for the Sarasota Art Association. In 1963 she became the first secretary of the newly-formed Friends of the Arts and Sciences at the Hilton Leech Studio and continued working there until 1990 managing painting and photography workshops in the studio and around the world. From 1990 to 1997 she ran her own business setting up painting and photography workshops for groups around the country. Her husband pursued a successful art career as a painter and teacher until his death in 1982. After Katherine retired in 1997 at age 79 she continued her active and creative life by writing and publishing 2 books about her life. The first one is entitled A Painter and His Wife and the second one is Katherine’s World: A Celebration both published by Orange Frazier Press. She also moved back to her old hometown after about 50 years in Sarasota and in recent years has lived in the independent living section at Otterbein Center in Lebanon, Ohio. She truly lived a full and creative life. Katherine passed away at home early Friday morning, April 15, 2011 at the age of 92. She is survived by one niece Katherine Lollar Divens of Vancouver, WA and was predeceased by one niece, Janet Lollar Schneider. She also has one grandniece, Katherine Punteney of Chico, CA and grandnephews James Punteney IV of Washington DC, Brian Schwarz of Scotts Valley, CA and Kevin Schwarz (wife HongFei and son Alex) of New Albany, Ohio as well as many other extended family members and loving friends. Her Celebration of Life service will be held at the Otterbein Chapel, in the Otterbein Campus Center, 585 N State Route 741, Lebanon, OH 45036 on Saturday April 23, 2011 at 1-3pm. A Memorial Fund in Katherine’s name for tax-deductible donations has been set up to support the Miller Ecological Park in Lebanon, Ohio. Donations may be sent to the Miller Ecological Park Fund in memory of Katherine and mailed to Warren County Foundation, PO Box 1315, Lebanon, Ohio 45036-1315; phone 513-934-1001.