Edward Preston McDowell, 78, of Pisgah Forest, died at his home Wednesday, May 6, 2009.
He was a son of the late Hamilton and Pearl Ballard McDowell.
A native of Henderson County, he retired from fifty years of farm management including cattle husbandry, crop production and equipment operations. In retirement, his passion was growing a vegetable garden and sharing the fruits of his labor with family and friends. He served the Lord and touched many lives with his example of hard work and ingenuity.
Survivors include his loving wife of sixty two years, Eileen Kelly McDowell; two sons, Rodger E. McDowell and his wife Mary Catherine of Frostproof, FL, Richard P. McDowell and his wife Sharon of Granite Falls; three daughters, Debra Prince and her husband Daniel of Pisgah Forest, Karen Crawford and her husband Linwood of Shelby and Ellen Gordon and her husband Dennis of Horse Shoe; three brothers, Bobby, James and Grady McDowell all of Henderson County; twelve grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.
He will be remembered as a loving husband, devoted father and a very generous grandfather. He will be greatly missed.
A funeral will be held at 2:00 pm Sunday in the chapel at Forest Lawn Mortuary. Burial will follow the service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 7-8:30 pm Saturday in the chapel at Forest Lawn Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Little River Baptist Church Building Fund, 51 Little River Church Rd. Penrose, NC 28766.
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2009
Time: 7:00 am - 8:30 pm
Date: Sunday, May 10, 2009
Time: 2:00 pm
Jerry & Ramona King posted on 5/6/09
Preston came into our lives about 20 years ago, and came to be a very dear person to us. We loved him as a family member. He was at the top of the list of the special people in our lives. His moral character and conduct was far above the average person. We have learned so much from him and there's hardly a week goes by that we don't run into something and think how Preston would handle that particular job or predicament. Just this past weekend, we re-did our barn floor and Jerry commented that he should have done it like Preston said to begin with, and now he was doing it that way. We have had many conversations with Preston and enjoyed every one of them. He loved coming in and telling about his little granddaughter that you kept when she was very young. I think he enjoyed that part of his life very much. He took great pride in the vegetables he grew and loved supplying his friends and neighbors with them. We have dreaded this day for a long time, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Preston is living in a beautiful city, now. Everyone in our office had a heavy heart this morning when they heard the news. The people in the neighborhood, whom he always took care of, will miss him very much, and I know that you, his family, will have a huge hole in your heart. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. We loved Preston so much and will greatly miss him. He was a gentle, giant of a man in our eyes. Jerry & Ramona King