Harold Rowe of Falkville, Alabama passed away Wednesday morning after a long and happy life. He leaves behind a loving family and a wonderful community of friends in the small town that he called home for over ninety years.
For those of you who don’t live in Falkville, Alabama please allow us to share a little bit about the life of Harold Rowe. Those of you who do live in Falkville probably know him already.
Harold Rowe was born in 1924. His parents died while he was young so he spent his early years on his grandfather’s farm. He learned to work the land and farmed on shares for a living before taking a job at Wolverine Tube – where he worked for 37 years. He used to remind us that back when he started he made $3 an hour. It amounted to more money than he’d ever seen as a farmer and he was full of gratitude that he had had a good job. Still, he kept up an impressive garden for the rest of his life. He could coax juicy red tomatoes and tall green rows of corn out of the hottest, driest summers.
He fell in love with the girl-next-door, Geraldine Cloud. They’d known each other their whole lives and grew up swimming in the same creek. The two married in 1945 and from that day on, they were hardly ever apart. Over their seventy-year-long marriage, they raised two daughters and welcomed three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren into the world. Often accused of being a big kid himself, Harold was beloved by his children and by every child he ever met. He rode generations of kids on his tractor, thrilling them by taking his hands off the wheel so they could “drive.”
Harold Rowe treated strangers like friends and friends like family. He’d strike up a conversation with almost anyone – charming unsuspecting strangers with his outlandish stories and infectious joy. He looked for ways to help his neighbors. If you needed a job, he knew someone that was hiring. If you needed a tool, he had one you could borrow. He embodied the spirit of Christian love and was a fixture at Falkville’s First Baptist Church, which he joined back in 1944.
To his wife and children, Harold was “Daddy.” His wife, Geraldine Rowe, always said she couldn’t have wished for a better husband. She spent his last few nights holding his hand and laughing as he cut up and joked with his nurses. “Daddy” will be missed so much by his daughters June Davis and Beth Powell and by his son-in-law Jerry Powell – whom he loved like a son.
Harold was “Papaw” to his three grandchildren and their spouses: Carey and Tiff Kearce, Angela Davis and Scott Dickerson, and Matt Davis and MiHyang Kim. Carey, Angela and Matt grew up playing in “Papaw’s” garden and listening to his wild stories. He delighted in his three great-grandchildren Avery, Finn and baby Julian who arrived just in time to meet him.
He let each of us know that he loved us and was proud of us. That kind of love doesn’t end – so we won’t say goodbye. Instead, we hope that everyone he ever touched with his kindness, generosity and goodwill can carry it forward.
Join us as we honor Harold Rowe at a graveside service at 2pm on Saturday at Falkville city cemetery.
