Frank C. Cowan, 84, the son of James Donald and Mary Woods Reynolds Cowan, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Mountain View Manor in Bryson City after a long period of declining health.
Born July 26, 1921, he was a lifelong resident of Sylva, receiving his education in the Jackson County schools.
He is survived by his sister, Anne Cowan and a number of cousins.
By vocation he was a picture framer and locksmith, but his avocation as a student of Jackson County history was his passion. Perhaps his interest was fueled by the important contributions his own family had made to the county's development. His grandfather, A.C. Reynolds, served from 1912 to 1920 as president of what is now Western Carolina University, when it was known as Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School. His mother, in turn, became a legend as a history teacher at Sylva High School and, later, Sylva-Webster.
For many years, he and his sister served as historians for First Baptist, searching for and unearthing invaluable information about its past, which otherwise would have been irretrievably lost. One special project was tracking down pictures of all past ministers of the church and having them framed and hung, a practice which continues today.
In addition, they have been longtime supporters of the special collections at WCU, having donated much material, including papers belonging to their grandfather and regional newspapers. A gift of special interest that was made to the Jackson County Historical Society, of which he was a faithful member, was a bread plate, originally the property of the Leatherwood hotel in Webster, with this inscription on the back: "made from Jackson County clay from the Webster clay mines."
Another task Frank assumed was the reproduction of audio tapes of church services at First Baptist for distribution to people unable to attend.
Born July 26, 1921, he was a lifelong resident of Sylva, receiving his education in the Jackson County schools.
He is survived by his sister, Anne Cowan and a number of cousins.
By vocation he was a picture framer and locksmith, but his avocation as a student of Jackson County history was his passion. Perhaps his interest was fueled by the important contributions his own family had made to the county's development. His grandfather, A.C. Reynolds, served from 1912 to 1920 as president of what is now Western Carolina University, when it was known as Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School. His mother, in turn, became a legend as a history teacher at Sylva High School and, later, Sylva-Webster.
For many years, he and his sister served as historians for First Baptist, searching for and unearthing invaluable information about its past, which otherwise would have been irretrievably lost. One special project was tracking down pictures of all past ministers of the church and having them framed and hung, a practice which continues today.
In addition, they have been longtime supporters of the special collections at WCU, having donated much material, including papers belonging to their grandfather and regional newspapers. A gift of special interest that was made to the Jackson County Historical Society, of which he was a faithful member, was a bread plate, originally the property of the Leatherwood hotel in Webster, with this inscription on the back: "made from Jackson County clay from the Webster clay mines."
Another task Frank assumed was the reproduction of audio tapes of church services at First Baptist for distribution to people unable to attend.
Frank C. Cowan, 84, the son of James Donald and Mary Woods Reynolds Cowan, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Mountain View Manor in Bryson City after a long period of declining health.
Born July 26, 1921, he was a lifelong resident of Sylva, receiving his education in the Jackson County schools.
He is survived by his sister, Anne Cowan and a number of cousins.
By vocation he was a picture framer and locksmith, but his avocation as a student of Jackson County history was his passion. Perhaps his interest was fueled by the important contributions his own family had made to the county's development. His grandfather, A.C. Reynolds, served from 1912 to 1920 as president of what is now Western Carolina University, when it was known as Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School. His mother, in turn, became a legend as a history teacher at Sylva High School and, later, Sylva-Webster.
For many years, he and his sister served as historians for First Baptist, searching for and unearthing invaluable information about its past, which otherwise would have been irretrievably lost. One special project was tracking down pictures of all past ministers of the church and having them framed and hung, a practice which continues today.
In addition, they have been longtime supporters of the special collections at WCU, having donated much material, including papers belonging to their grandfather and regional newspapers. A gift of special interest that was made to the Jackson County Historical Society, of which he was a faithful member, was a bread plate, originally the property of the Leatherwood hotel in Webster, with this inscription on the back: "made from Jackson County clay from the Webster clay mines."
Another task Frank assumed was the reproduction of audio tapes of church services at First Baptist for distribution to people unable to attend.
Born July 26, 1921, he was a lifelong resident of Sylva, receiving his education in the Jackson County schools.
He is survived by his sister, Anne Cowan and a number of cousins.
By vocation he was a picture framer and locksmith, but his avocation as a student of Jackson County history was his passion. Perhaps his interest was fueled by the important contributions his own family had made to the county's development. His grandfather, A.C. Reynolds, served from 1912 to 1920 as president of what is now Western Carolina University, when it was known as Cullowhee Normal and Industrial School. His mother, in turn, became a legend as a history teacher at Sylva High School and, later, Sylva-Webster.
For many years, he and his sister served as historians for First Baptist, searching for and unearthing invaluable information about its past, which otherwise would have been irretrievably lost. One special project was tracking down pictures of all past ministers of the church and having them framed and hung, a practice which continues today.
In addition, they have been longtime supporters of the special collections at WCU, having donated much material, including papers belonging to their grandfather and regional newspapers. A gift of special interest that was made to the Jackson County Historical Society, of which he was a faithful member, was a bread plate, originally the property of the Leatherwood hotel in Webster, with this inscription on the back: "made from Jackson County clay from the Webster clay mines."
Another task Frank assumed was the reproduction of audio tapes of church services at First Baptist for distribution to people unable to attend.
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