Dana McGowan

Visitation: will be held on Friday, July 30 from 4:00pm to 8:00 pm

Vigil Service: will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poplar on Friday, July 30 at 7 pm

Funeral Services: will be held at the church on Saturday, July 31 at 10 am

Interment: will be in Poplar City Cemetery

Dana E. McGowan, 83, passed away July 27, 2004 at Evergreen Rest and Rehabilitation Center, Clancy, Montana.

Dana was born on January 20, 1921 in the family home in Poplar. He was the eleventh of twelve children of Felix and Helena McGowan and grew up in Poplar and on the family farm north of town. He attended the poplar Public Schools and earned a football scholarship to Gonzaga University in 1939. The Depression and World War II interrupted his college career. He returned to Poplar and signed up with the local National Guard unit, company B. After tow years, he was discharged and returned to Spokane, Washington to work with his brother, Mick McGowan. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he was recalled and sent to Fort Ord, California. From there he was assigned to the South Pacific as a Sergeant with Company C, 172nd Infantry, 43rd Division. Wounded in combat, Dana received the Purple Heart and two Bronze stars. His injuries returned him to the States. While on leave in Poplar, malaria attacks hit and he required further hospitalization. On his return trip he became ill again and was admitted to a hospital in Vancouver, Washington. It was while there that he met Norma Jean Morris in Portland, Oregon. April 18, 1944 they were married in Milwaukee, Oregon. Following their marriage, Dana was stationed in New Orleans, Louisiana as an MP until he was discharged in 1945.

Dana and Norma returned to Portland, Oregon where he worked for Standard Oil Company. In 1951, they moved to Poplar with their first three children. Dana farmed with his brother Tom in the Mineral Bench area until 1953 when they moved into the original McGowan home in Poplar. He remained there until recent illness caused him to the Helena area. Three more children were born in Poplar. Dana drove oil trucks, worked for Murphy Oil and managed the American Legion. In 1964, he and Norma opened the Poplar Shopper. He maintained the business until 2001. Dana could be seen about town pickup up ads for the Shopper and joking with the merchants. He was seen at almost every event in town for 30 years taking photos for the Shopper. For a number of years Dana entertained the community with a PA system, broadcasting music from the Shopper. A staunch Poplar supporter, he loved Poplar and never desired to live anywhere else on earth. Poplar returned that love and affection by honoring him on his 67th birthday with a surprise birthday party at the American Legion.

Dana was an active member of the Poplar Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture was Sgt for the American Legion Firing Squad and served as president of the Chamber and Commander of the American Legion Post #55. He energetically supported the Poplar Cemetery Committee and the poplar Alumni Association. He was also a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

Norma Jean preceded him in death on March 27, 1977. Also preceding him were his parents and ten of his brothers and sisters.

He is survived by his sister, Lily McGowan Dahlberg, Garfield, WA, his six children: John (Cindy) of Moses Lake, WA; Dani Lee of Helena, MT; Trudy (Tom) Fox of Wolf Point; Tom (Jan) of Poway, CA; Kelly (Annie) of San Diego, CA; and Dennis (Linda) of Helena, MT. Eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren will also greatly miss him.

Vigil services will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poplar on Friday, July 30 at 7 pm. Funeral services will be held at the church on Saturday, July 31 at 10 am. Interment will be in Poplar City Cemetery.