Amelia Jane (A.J.) Cowart Rowland went to be with Jesus on December 24, 2018 at the age of 86 years. She was born to Sherwood Evans Cowart and Vera Tommie Cowart in Bonham, Texas on October 24, 1932. Visitation will be Friday, December 28, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at Lakeview Funeral Home in Longview, Texas with services beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Lakeview Funeral Home with Bro. Dave Jochum officiating.
Amelia was a member of the Bonham High School Class of 1950, where she played in the band and was a Warrior cheerleader.
After graduation, she attended cosmetology school and soon after opened Amelia’s Beauty Shop in Bonham. In 1965 she and her children moved to LaGrange, Texas to be near her parents. A.J. worked in management for the Commodore Perry Hotel in Austin, Texas for four years.
She married Jesse Dee Rowland on April 26, 1969, and they moved their family to Lake Cherokee in June of that year. She spent the majority of her career in the insurance business where she served as office manager and underwriter for both Bivins Insurance in Longview and Kilgore Insurance. She was a charter member of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Longview.
She was actively involved in her daughter’s activities and never missed a single event or ballgame for either Mitzi or Robin in their school career. She served two terms as the president of the Tatum High School Band Booster Club and was a devoted Tatum Eagle and Dallas Cowboy fan.
Shortly after the death of her husband and her retirement in 1987, A.J. joined the volunteer auxiliary group at Longview Regional Hospital where she faithfully and actively served as a hospital volunteer for eight years. She and her friends were known as the Golden Girls and had a standing lunch date once a month. A.J. met her loving companion, Jerry Eason in 1994 and they enjoyed lots of adventures and made friends wherever they went.
A.J. was preceded in death by her husband, Jesse Dee; a son, Michael D. Roberts, her parents, Sherwood and Vera Cowart; sister, Julia Dean Anderson; brother-in-law, Melvin Rowland; sister-in-law, Lucille Rowland Harris.
She is survived by her daughters Mitzi Rowland Neely (Jerry) of Longview and Robin Rowland Conway (James) of Timpson; her loving and faithful companion of 24 years, Jerry Eason of Longview; her sister, Sherri Yates (Rodney) and her grandchildren, Rachel Hawkins (Steve) of Marshall, Allyson Machado (Kyle) of Fort Worth, Jayme Harbison (Matt) of Timpson, and Jenny Nichols (Derek) of Center; her great grandchildren, Will and Elizabeth Hawkins, Mayson, Garrett and Luke Harbison, Neely Machado, and Case Nichols; her sister-in-law Doris Rowland of Longview, and several nieces and nephews.
Thank you to the Longview Regional Emergency Room nursing staff and the Heart/Vascular floor nursing staff and doctors for the tender care they provided her during her brief hospital stay.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Tatum ISD Education Foundation or the White Oak ISD Education Foundation.
