Margaret Cathleen Cowles

Culver, IN Margaret Cathleen Rasmussen Cowles, daughter of the late John Alton and Margaret Cathleen Charron Rasmussen, age 77, of 1455 S. 1200 E, Culver, IN, died at home on December 7th with her family.She is survived by daughters Kerrill Loraine (Dean) Dunning of Knox, IN; Elizabeth Kae Schroeder of LaPorte, IN; and Mari-Collene Heinis of Kendallville, IN.Grandchildren Brian Clinton (Tammy Sue) Dunning of Knox, IN; Melissa Loraine Thibodeaux of Knox, IN; Jason Andrew (Jackie) Kaminski of LaPorte, IN; Nicholas Stephen Kaminski of New Carlisle, IN; and Tyler S. (Andrea) Heinis of Kendallville, IN.She was the proud great-grandmother of 6 boys and 4 girls. She also leaves two brothers, Joseph John (Carolyn) Rasmussen of Bay City, MI; and Michael John Rasmussen; two sisters, Suzanne Georgia nee Walker and Linda Jean nee Rasmussen; cousin Allan John (Linda Ann) Van Brocklin of Columbiaville, MI; step-mother Elizabeth Ramirez Rasmussen of North Muskegon; and numerous nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by beloved step-mother Evelyn Anthony Rasmussen; by her husband of 23 years, Harold Robert Cowles, in 2011; her beloved in-laws, Harold R. and Beverly Carr Cowles; as well as her aunt, Ruth Rasmussen Getz.Cathy was also predeceased by her grandmother Alma Johnson Rasmussen, Aunt Adeline Rasmussen Van Brocklin, and Uncle Melvin B. Van Brocklin, all three of whom helped raise her in rural Muskegon. Cathy was a member of the first graduating class of Reeths-Puffer High School.While living in Holland, she served as a leader of both the Bluebirds, which she helped establish in Blue star Elementary School, and of the Camp Fire Girls.She was a 4-H leader while in Corunna.As a member of the ARBA & Silver Fox Club, she showed rabbits in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Tennessee.She was a volunteer with Find-A-Grave.com in Halifax, Mecklenburg, and Lunenburg counties in Virginia and later in northern Indiana.As she had said many times in life, she was, “…a native Michigander, and transplanted Hoosier, an adopted Texan and lived in Japan and Hawaii…” before settling in Virginia, and then back to Indiana to spend her senior years. She was cremated, and her ashes will be scattered over Lake Michigan at Holland and at Muskegon as well as over the family graves in Oak Hill Cemetery.It is suggested that friends, neighbors, and family memorialize her by sending contributions to one of the charities she helped to support in life -Feeding America, Chicago, IL, 1-800-771-2303; St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN, 1-800-822-6344; National Wildlife Federation in Reston VA, 1-800-822-9919; Arbor Day Foundation in Lincoln, NE, 1-888-448-7337; Toys for Tots in Triangle, VA; or Father Flanagan in Boys Town, NE 1-402-498-1111. The family is being cared for by Cremation Society of Virginia, 703 Virginia Ave. Clarksville, VA 23927, cremationofvirginia.com