Stella Arlene McDowall

Stella Arlene McDowall, 75, longtime Moses Lake resident, passed away Monday, Feb. 2, 2009, at her home with her family by her side.

Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Grape Drive Chapel with Bishop Rob Redford conducting. The family will greet friends at the church from 9 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. Interment will follow in Pioneer Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are in care of Kayser’s Chapel & Crematory, Moses Lake.

Please sign the guestbook or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com

Arlene was born Oct. 30, 1933, in Portis, Kan., the second of three children born to Calvin Dole and Golda Belle (Ling) Garver. They moved at a young age to Salem, Ore., graduating from Cascade High School in 1951, and on Oct. 20, 1951, she married her high school sweetheart Harry L. McDowall. Harry and Arlene were married again on March 18, 1967, in accordance with their Latter-day Saints faith at the Temple in Cardston, Alberta, Canada.

Arlene was called to various church positions over her lifetime and she was always willing to serve and it was always with a smile and positive attitude.

One of Arlene’s lasting legacies was she spent the last four years of her life cross-stitching and quilting heirloom quilts for all four of her children to remember her by. We all remember Mom sitting in her chair either cross-stitching, knitting or quilting; her hands were never idle.

Harry and Arlene moved to Moses Lake in 1953 to help Harry’s folks build a dairy and then when that was completed they built their own and owned it until 1972. At that time Arlene went to work for Basin American Potato, retiring there after 25 years.

Arlene and Harry became snowbirds in 1995 until they decided to settle in Casa Grande, Ariz., in 1998, where they both made lots of new friends. Upon Harry’s passing in 2004 Arlene made the decision to move back to Moses Lake to be close to her children because of health issues.

Arlene did do quite a bit of traveling before having to quit. She went on several cruises, went to Germany, Japan, Australia, Hawaii, Mexico and several U.S. states back east.

Arlene is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and Wes Marchmonte of Moses Lake, Susan and Duane Knowles of Kingston, Okla., and two sons and daughter-in-laws, Neil and Megan McDowall and Calvin and Casey McDowall all of Moses Lake; one sister and brother-in-law Ardyth and Wally Munson, Salem, Ore., and one brother and sister-in-law, Gene and Vida Garver of Aumsville, Ore.; two brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Robert and Marilyn McDowall of Deer Park, Wash., and Don and Barbara McDowall of Moses Lake; sister-in-law Marjorie Claiborne, of Tacoma, Wash.; 14 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of almost 53 years Harry McDowall, parents Calvin and Golda Garver, her in-laws Lenora Tenaglia and Lou Hansen, brother-in-law Harvey Claiborne and nephew Ricky Garver.

We will miss you, Mom.