Wilson "Wink" Rowell, 78, died Thu, Apr 3, 1997, at Metropolitan Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Mr. Rowell attended the Merganthaler Linotype School in New York City and was employed by newspapers in Constantine and Bangor, WI, before serving from 1943 to 1946 as a medical corpsman in the U.S. Army in field hospitals in the South Pacific and Australia.
He owned and published The Leader and the Kalkaskian newspaper, as well as a commercial printing business in Kalkaska. He was a youth leader at Peoples Church, before serving for many years as a trustee, elder and deacon at the Church of Christ in Kalkaska. He served as Scoutmaster and on the Scenic Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America and was a village councilman and captain of the volunteer fire department in Kalkaska. He also served on several county commission boards and was a life member of VFW Post 8684.
Mr. Rowell was born Apr 17, 1918, to Lyman Ray and Mae (Easlick) Rowell in Evart. On Jun 26, 1949, at Peoples Church in Kalkaska he married Wilma Yager, who survives.
Also surviving are sons Mark (Tammy) of Kalkaska, and John of Boyne City; daughter Rebecca (Gary) Swanson of Manton; grandsons Jason and Jack Rowell of Kalkaska, Spencer Rowell of San Diego, DA, and Brad and Kyle Swanson of Manton; granddaughters, Regina Rowell of Kalkaska and Heather (Scott) Greene of Knoxville, TN; great granddaughters Harley and Shelby Greene of Knoxville; sisters Carrie Honaman of Merrill and Dorothy Robinson of Harrietta; brothers Gerald "Jack" Rowell of Muskegon and Woodrow "Woody" Rowell of Kalkaska; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Mildred Rowell and Ethel Spence, and brother Kenneth Rowell. A memorial service will be held Sat, Apr 12, at 1 pm at Peoples Church in Kalkaska. Interment will be at a later date in Excelsior Township Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to VFW Post 8684 in Kalkaska, the Peoples Church or Kalkaska Church of Christ.
Arrangements were by Gerst Funeral Home, Grand Rapids.
