Lowell Orville Heath, 89, of Sterling, passed away July 30, 2013, in Sterling. A celebration of life, with family receiving friends, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the High Plains Education Center at the Overland Trail Museum.
Lowell was born March 29, 1924, to Orville Quinter Heath and Opal Combs Heath in Fleming. Except for a brief period when his family moved to Siebert to work on the highway and his time in the U.S. Navy, Lowell lived his entire life in Fleming, graduating from Fleming High School in 1942.
In 2004, Selma and Lowell relocated to Sterling.
Lowell was a truck driver at heart and started driving a 1935 Ford for his father at the age of 15. He continued driving truck until joining the Navy in 1943. Following basic training in Farragut, Idaho, he was stationed at USNH, Mare Island, Calif., followed by USNB, Port Chicago. During his time at Port Chicago, Calif., Lowell experienced first-hand the now famous Port Chicago munitions ships explosion. On the evening of July 17, 1944, two munitions ships anchored in the harbor exploded, killing 380 and wounding an additional 390. Although Lowell was injured in the blast, he went to the aid of the other sailors and not until a doctor insisted that he receive treatment did he stop helping others to be transported to the Pittsburg, Calif. Army Hospital, where he was treated for the removal of glass embedded in his face. After recovering for four days, Lowell returned to duty at Port Chicago, where he served until his honorable discharge on May 18, 1946.
After his service to his country, Lowell attended UNC in Greeley for a short time. Despite his talent for designing and building equipment, Lowell decided college was not for him and he returned to driving trucks for his father. Then, on Dec. 12, 1948, he married Selma E. Kennedy. Shortly thereafter, he purchased his own semi and operated a grain merchant business until July 18, 1967, when he joined the Moorman Manufacturing Company as a salesman, selling livestock supplements to ranchers and farmers in his territory as well as purchasing and operating a small cattle and hog business of his own. No doubt due to his gregarious personality, Lowell was very successful at Moorman's, winning many top sales awards over the years. He retired from his career on April 4, 1986. Somewhere in there, Lowell and Selma found time to raise two children, Scot, born in 1957, and Raenell, born in 1959.
After seeing their children off to families of their own, Lowell retired and he and Selma found their inner gypsy, traveling the highways of North America both by motorcycle and RV. They managed to make it to 44 of the 49 states accessible by land with Mexico and Canada included in there as well. One of their biggest adventures was driving to Alaska and Lowell always said if they'd built a bridge to Hawaii, he'd visit there was well, but he wasn't getting on an airplane for anything.
Lowell belonged to a number of organizations: life member of the Sterling Elks Club, volunteer fireman for the Fleming Fire Department for 28 years, member of the Crook Golf Club until its closure, and was a charter member of the Fleming Haxtun Golf Club, where he volunteered with the construction and maintenance of the course until the late 1990s. He was also a member of the Fleming Cemetery Board.
Lowell is survived by his wife of 64 years, Selma; sister, Deanne Jo Acott of Cortez; son, Scot and his wife Eileen; daughter, Raenell Olson; granddaughters, Jennifer Heath, Andi Heath and Trudi Olson Feast and her husband Zack Feast (Lowell and Selma's only grandson); great-grandchildren, Cade and Kennedy Feast; sisters-in-law, Naomi Kennedy, Garnet Curtis, Fern Scheel; and numerous treasured nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Chaney-Reager Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Lowell was born March 29, 1924, to Orville Quinter Heath and Opal Combs Heath in Fleming. Except for a brief period when his family moved to Siebert to work on the highway and his time in the U.S. Navy, Lowell lived his entire life in Fleming, graduating from Fleming High School in 1942.
In 2004, Selma and Lowell relocated to Sterling.
Lowell was a truck driver at heart and started driving a 1935 Ford for his father at the age of 15. He continued driving truck until joining the Navy in 1943. Following basic training in Farragut, Idaho, he was stationed at USNH, Mare Island, Calif., followed by USNB, Port Chicago. During his time at Port Chicago, Calif., Lowell experienced first-hand the now famous Port Chicago munitions ships explosion. On the evening of July 17, 1944, two munitions ships anchored in the harbor exploded, killing 380 and wounding an additional 390. Although Lowell was injured in the blast, he went to the aid of the other sailors and not until a doctor insisted that he receive treatment did he stop helping others to be transported to the Pittsburg, Calif. Army Hospital, where he was treated for the removal of glass embedded in his face. After recovering for four days, Lowell returned to duty at Port Chicago, where he served until his honorable discharge on May 18, 1946.
After his service to his country, Lowell attended UNC in Greeley for a short time. Despite his talent for designing and building equipment, Lowell decided college was not for him and he returned to driving trucks for his father. Then, on Dec. 12, 1948, he married Selma E. Kennedy. Shortly thereafter, he purchased his own semi and operated a grain merchant business until July 18, 1967, when he joined the Moorman Manufacturing Company as a salesman, selling livestock supplements to ranchers and farmers in his territory as well as purchasing and operating a small cattle and hog business of his own. No doubt due to his gregarious personality, Lowell was very successful at Moorman's, winning many top sales awards over the years. He retired from his career on April 4, 1986. Somewhere in there, Lowell and Selma found time to raise two children, Scot, born in 1957, and Raenell, born in 1959.
After seeing their children off to families of their own, Lowell retired and he and Selma found their inner gypsy, traveling the highways of North America both by motorcycle and RV. They managed to make it to 44 of the 49 states accessible by land with Mexico and Canada included in there as well. One of their biggest adventures was driving to Alaska and Lowell always said if they'd built a bridge to Hawaii, he'd visit there was well, but he wasn't getting on an airplane for anything.
Lowell belonged to a number of organizations: life member of the Sterling Elks Club, volunteer fireman for the Fleming Fire Department for 28 years, member of the Crook Golf Club until its closure, and was a charter member of the Fleming Haxtun Golf Club, where he volunteered with the construction and maintenance of the course until the late 1990s. He was also a member of the Fleming Cemetery Board.
Lowell is survived by his wife of 64 years, Selma; sister, Deanne Jo Acott of Cortez; son, Scot and his wife Eileen; daughter, Raenell Olson; granddaughters, Jennifer Heath, Andi Heath and Trudi Olson Feast and her husband Zack Feast (Lowell and Selma's only grandson); great-grandchildren, Cade and Kennedy Feast; sisters-in-law, Naomi Kennedy, Garnet Curtis, Fern Scheel; and numerous treasured nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Chaney-Reager Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Lowell Orville Heath, 89, of Sterling, passed away July 30, 2013, in Sterling. A celebration of life, with family receiving friends, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the High Plains Education Center at the Overland Trail Museum.
Lowell was born March 29, 1924, to Orville Quinter Heath and Opal Combs Heath in Fleming. Except for a brief period when his family moved to Siebert to work on the highway and his time in the U.S. Navy, Lowell lived his entire life in Fleming, graduating from Fleming High School in 1942.
In 2004, Selma and Lowell relocated to Sterling.
Lowell was a truck driver at heart and started driving a 1935 Ford for his father at the age of 15. He continued driving truck until joining the Navy in 1943. Following basic training in Farragut, Idaho, he was stationed at USNH, Mare Island, Calif., followed by USNB, Port Chicago. During his time at Port Chicago, Calif., Lowell experienced first-hand the now famous Port Chicago munitions ships explosion. On the evening of July 17, 1944, two munitions ships anchored in the harbor exploded, killing 380 and wounding an additional 390. Although Lowell was injured in the blast, he went to the aid of the other sailors and not until a doctor insisted that he receive treatment did he stop helping others to be transported to the Pittsburg, Calif. Army Hospital, where he was treated for the removal of glass embedded in his face. After recovering for four days, Lowell returned to duty at Port Chicago, where he served until his honorable discharge on May 18, 1946.
After his service to his country, Lowell attended UNC in Greeley for a short time. Despite his talent for designing and building equipment, Lowell decided college was not for him and he returned to driving trucks for his father. Then, on Dec. 12, 1948, he married Selma E. Kennedy. Shortly thereafter, he purchased his own semi and operated a grain merchant business until July 18, 1967, when he joined the Moorman Manufacturing Company as a salesman, selling livestock supplements to ranchers and farmers in his territory as well as purchasing and operating a small cattle and hog business of his own. No doubt due to his gregarious personality, Lowell was very successful at Moorman's, winning many top sales awards over the years. He retired from his career on April 4, 1986. Somewhere in there, Lowell and Selma found time to raise two children, Scot, born in 1957, and Raenell, born in 1959.
After seeing their children off to families of their own, Lowell retired and he and Selma found their inner gypsy, traveling the highways of North America both by motorcycle and RV. They managed to make it to 44 of the 49 states accessible by land with Mexico and Canada included in there as well. One of their biggest adventures was driving to Alaska and Lowell always said if they'd built a bridge to Hawaii, he'd visit there was well, but he wasn't getting on an airplane for anything.
Lowell belonged to a number of organizations: life member of the Sterling Elks Club, volunteer fireman for the Fleming Fire Department for 28 years, member of the Crook Golf Club until its closure, and was a charter member of the Fleming Haxtun Golf Club, where he volunteered with the construction and maintenance of the course until the late 1990s. He was also a member of the Fleming Cemetery Board.
Lowell is survived by his wife of 64 years, Selma; sister, Deanne Jo Acott of Cortez; son, Scot and his wife Eileen; daughter, Raenell Olson; granddaughters, Jennifer Heath, Andi Heath and Trudi Olson Feast and her husband Zack Feast (Lowell and Selma's only grandson); great-grandchildren, Cade and Kennedy Feast; sisters-in-law, Naomi Kennedy, Garnet Curtis, Fern Scheel; and numerous treasured nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Chaney-Reager Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
Lowell was born March 29, 1924, to Orville Quinter Heath and Opal Combs Heath in Fleming. Except for a brief period when his family moved to Siebert to work on the highway and his time in the U.S. Navy, Lowell lived his entire life in Fleming, graduating from Fleming High School in 1942.
In 2004, Selma and Lowell relocated to Sterling.
Lowell was a truck driver at heart and started driving a 1935 Ford for his father at the age of 15. He continued driving truck until joining the Navy in 1943. Following basic training in Farragut, Idaho, he was stationed at USNH, Mare Island, Calif., followed by USNB, Port Chicago. During his time at Port Chicago, Calif., Lowell experienced first-hand the now famous Port Chicago munitions ships explosion. On the evening of July 17, 1944, two munitions ships anchored in the harbor exploded, killing 380 and wounding an additional 390. Although Lowell was injured in the blast, he went to the aid of the other sailors and not until a doctor insisted that he receive treatment did he stop helping others to be transported to the Pittsburg, Calif. Army Hospital, where he was treated for the removal of glass embedded in his face. After recovering for four days, Lowell returned to duty at Port Chicago, where he served until his honorable discharge on May 18, 1946.
After his service to his country, Lowell attended UNC in Greeley for a short time. Despite his talent for designing and building equipment, Lowell decided college was not for him and he returned to driving trucks for his father. Then, on Dec. 12, 1948, he married Selma E. Kennedy. Shortly thereafter, he purchased his own semi and operated a grain merchant business until July 18, 1967, when he joined the Moorman Manufacturing Company as a salesman, selling livestock supplements to ranchers and farmers in his territory as well as purchasing and operating a small cattle and hog business of his own. No doubt due to his gregarious personality, Lowell was very successful at Moorman's, winning many top sales awards over the years. He retired from his career on April 4, 1986. Somewhere in there, Lowell and Selma found time to raise two children, Scot, born in 1957, and Raenell, born in 1959.
After seeing their children off to families of their own, Lowell retired and he and Selma found their inner gypsy, traveling the highways of North America both by motorcycle and RV. They managed to make it to 44 of the 49 states accessible by land with Mexico and Canada included in there as well. One of their biggest adventures was driving to Alaska and Lowell always said if they'd built a bridge to Hawaii, he'd visit there was well, but he wasn't getting on an airplane for anything.
Lowell belonged to a number of organizations: life member of the Sterling Elks Club, volunteer fireman for the Fleming Fire Department for 28 years, member of the Crook Golf Club until its closure, and was a charter member of the Fleming Haxtun Golf Club, where he volunteered with the construction and maintenance of the course until the late 1990s. He was also a member of the Fleming Cemetery Board.
Lowell is survived by his wife of 64 years, Selma; sister, Deanne Jo Acott of Cortez; son, Scot and his wife Eileen; daughter, Raenell Olson; granddaughters, Jennifer Heath, Andi Heath and Trudi Olson Feast and her husband Zack Feast (Lowell and Selma's only grandson); great-grandchildren, Cade and Kennedy Feast; sisters-in-law, Naomi Kennedy, Garnet Curtis, Fern Scheel; and numerous treasured nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Chaney-Reager Funeral Home handled the arrangements.
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