Joan (Kurtz) Sowell, 79, of Decatur, Alabama, passed away on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at her
home surrounded by her family. Joan left this world on the eve of what would have been her sixty first
wedding anniversary.
Joan was born September 24, 1946, in Hamilton, Ohio, to Mr. Paul G. Kurtz and Mrs. Annis
(Partenheimer) Kurtz, and was the oldest of their six children. On September 20, 1965, she married,
Stephen A. Sowell. In 1970, Stephen’s work transferred him to a new plant in Decatur, Alabama, and the
young family relocated with their two small children. Decatur became home for good, and it was there
that Joan and Stephen raised their four children.
In Decatur, Joan’s life centered on her family and her faith. She was an active member of St. Ann’s
Catholic Church, now Annunciation of the Lord. With her two youngest children still at home, she
returned to college and earned her teaching degree from Athens State University. That degree took her
back to St. Ann’s, where she taught second and third grades for many years and, in time, retired from
the classroom. Retirement never slowed her devotion to her parish, and she remained a faithful and
familiar presence there for the rest of her life.
Joan is survived by her four children: Teresa (Teri) Adams of Madison; Stephen A. Sowell Jr. and his wife, Deborah, of Decatur; Karen A. Morland and her husband, Matthew, of Decatur; and Sarah E. Traylor
and her husband, Derek, of Decatur. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren, Justin Adams, Caitlin
Adams and her fiancé, Justin Williams, Shanna Sowell, Clay Morland and his fiancée, Katie Goodson,
Ryleigh Morland, Madilynn Morland, Kevin Conrad and his wife, Rachel, Dillon Traylor, and Dawson
Traylor; and three great-grandchildren, Silas Adams, Sloan Williams, and Tatum Williams.
She is also survived by her five brothers and sisters: Richard P. Kurtz and his wife, Bea, of Tucson,
Arizona; Sharon A. Montgomery and her husband, Lee Stultz of Cincinnati, Ohio; Martha Sue Salyers and
her husband, Darrel, of Cincinnati, Ohio; James M. Kurtz and his wife, Ann, of Cincinnati, Ohio: and
Joseph J. Kurtz and his wife, Ursula, of Australia.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Annis Kurtz, and by her husband of 54 years,
Stephen A. Sowell, who died January 3, 2020.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, September 28, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. at
Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church in Decatur, with Father Ray Runkle celebrant. Rosary will be
prayed at 2:00 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church or St. Ann’s School, 3910 Spring Ave SW, Decatur, AL 35603
