Rachel passed away on Tuesday morning at the Garden View Care Center.

Memorials may be directed to the Memorial Baptist Church.

Rachel Cowen was born on October 8, 1915 in Mammoth Spring, Arkansas to the late Robert and Martha (Blackburn) Powell. She was born in a log cabin built by her grandfather. Rachel was raised and schooled in the Mammoth Spring's area.
In 1934, she married Loyd Griffith. To this union one child, Noel was born. On February 10, 1947, she was united in marriage with James Cowen in Hutchinson, Kansas. Two children, Donald and Marjorie, were born to their union.
During World War II, Rachel worked assembling bombs for the Emerson Electric Company in St. Louis, Missouri. After her marriage to Jim, they engaged in farming in the Hutchinson and Mammoth Spring area before moving to Shenandoah, Iowa in 1952, where they also farmed. In 1984, Jim and Rachel moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where they remained until September of 1995 when they returned to Shenandoah. Through the years, Rachel worked in the hospital, nursing homes and private homes in the Shenandoah area. Even after retiring, she continued to reach out to others with a gentle hand and loving spirit. Family and friends have warm memories of her love of baking through the many pies, cakes and bread she shared. Rachel was a charter member of the Memorial Baptist Church and enjoyed serving wherever she was needed. She taught Sunday school for 27 years and had the pleasure of teaching her own children and grandchildren.

Rachel was preceded in death by her parents; brother; husband Jim; son Noel Griffith and her former daughter-in-law Joanne Cowen. Survivors include two children, Donald L. Cowen of Shenandoah and Marjorie A. Barrett and husband Richard of Sunrise Beach, Missouri; daughter-in-law Nedra Griffith of Kansas City, MO; grandchildren Kevin Griffith and wife Holly of Harrisonville, MO, Keith Griffith of Kansas City, MO, Matthew Barrett and wife Deann of Colorado Springs, CO, Monica Bartlett and husband Joseph of Shenandoah, IA, Elizabeth Egge of Danbury, CT and William Cowen and wife Erin of Kalamazoo, MI; eight great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; other family and friends.