Pauline Mae Fowler
Pauline Mae Fowler, 87, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.
As the oldest of three children, she was born on March 11, 1928 in Cedarville, Calif. to Cressler and Goldia Robinson. At only three pounds, the doctor assured her parents she was fine and she had her father’s ranch in southeastern Oregon to grow up on.
Pauline rode her first horse at age three and loved the outdoors. As she helped her father on their cattle ranch, he always spoke of the beauty of God’s creation. In order to keep the small country school open with enough students, Pauline was enrolled in first grade at age five. She loved to read and never remembered not knowing how.
There were many adventures growing up on the ranch, such as milking the cows while trying to avoid the mean bull, catching her pet goat in the house on her parents’ bed and attending the Saturday night community socials with dinner and dancing.
Since the nearest high school was “in town”, Pauline spent those four years boarding in different homes in Lakeview during the war. She later attended Oregon State University as a social work student and opted to live in a big house with other girls for low rent rather than joining a sorority.
It was at the on-campus ministry, Westminster House, that she met her future husband, Keith Fowler. Before they were married on Aug. 7, 1948, she took some secretarial classes so she could help with the family income. They moved to Richland, Wash. in 1950 where Keith began his career as a chemical engineer at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Pauline was a homemaker.
Pauline and Keith raised five children together and successfully imparted their faith in God to them. For years they were among the pillars of West Side Church and spent countless hours investing in people’s lives by loving, listening and counseling with God’s great love. Their house was always open and many extended family members lived in their home. She kept track of birthdays and sent out hundreds of birthday cards each year to everyone she knew.
Pauline and Keith spent their retirement years traveling, partly to see the world but also to keep track of all their grandchildren, extended family and many friends.
Pauline was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Keith Fowler; son, Stephen Fowler and sister Thelma Rice.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Katie Fowler, Deltona, Fla.; daughters and sons-in-law, Irene and John Tate, Basin, Wyo., Diane and Don Pagan, Cotter, Ark. and Judy and James Gerhard, Pasco, Wash.; daughter-in-law, Peggy Fowler Faubion, Cle Elum, Wash.; brother and sister-in-law, Don and Diana Robinson, Adel; 18 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
We will remember and celebrate her life on August 8, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. pm at West Side Church in Richland, Wash. In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to donate to World Vision International (1-888-511-6548, www.WorldVision.org or P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, Wash. 98063) in Pauline’s name.