Keith Dorrance Rowe

October 29, 1924 – March 23, 2010
Keith Dorrance Rowe, 85, of Wellman died Tuesday, March 23, 2010 in the Washington County Hospital in Washington.
Funeral Services were Saturday, March 27, 2010, at the Asbury United Methodist Church in Wellman with Rev. Rich Pippert and Rev. Kitch Shatzer officiating. Burial was in the Keota Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established for Hospice of Washington County. Messages may be sent to the family at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.
Mr. Rowe was born south of Wellman on a family century farm, October 29, 1924, the son of Fay Rowe and Ina Dorrance Rowe. He married Audrey Ellison on April 6, 1950, in Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated from Wellman High School in 1943. He joined the Navy in 1943 serving until 1946. His basic training was in the Great Lakes. Later he was sent to Oklahoma for air craft mechanics and then to officer training at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. He served most of his duty during the occupation of Japan. After military service he attended Iowa State University and Capital City Commercial College, Des Moines, earning a degree in business. In 1953 he began farming. He completed his own planting and harvest in 2009. He was a 68 year member of the Asbury United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife Audrey of Wellman, and five children, Andy Rowe of Marengo, Kathryn Novotny of Rochester, MN., Jason Rowe of Seattle, WA., Barbara Coffman and husband Steve of South English, and Elizabeth Montelius and husband Randy of Cedar Rapids. Also surviving are eight grandchildren, Adam and Amy Rowe, Matthew, Nathan and Laura Novotny, Emily Montelius, Sage and Isabel Coffman, and two step grandchildren Cyrus and Leslie Coffman. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Ellen Gleason and a brother Carl (Bill) Rowe.