Harriett Christine Fowler

Chris Fowler, 95, Springfield, passed away Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, in the Missouri Veterans Home in Mt. Vernon. She was born Dec. 23, 1914, in New Haven, CT, to Henry Rapson and Alpha (Clark) Rapson.

She was a member of the United Methodist Church in El Dorado Springs.

Chris graduated from the Meriden Hospital School of Nursing in Meriden, CT, on Aug. 31, 1940. On July 22, 1941, Chris joined the Army Nurses Corps and served during WWII until being discharged April 28, 1945. Chris was united in marriage to Paul B. Fowler on Aug. 5, 1944. After her service to her country, she worked as a Registered Nurse in Obstetrics at Asbury Hospital in Salina, KS.

Paul and Chris moved from Salina, KS, to El Dorado Springs, in 1963. She was active in the community of El Dorado Springs
from 1963-1997. She was a Life Member of the Disabled American Veterans, a member of the Royal Neighbors and the
Business and Professional Women’s Club. Her many volunteer activities included the United Methodist Church, volunteer work at Cedar County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, the Girl Scouts, the Senior Center, camp nurse at Camp Galilee, Community Betterment, Council of Aging, Christian Care Center and Progress Club. She was nominated and selected as the Person of the Year in 1983 for all of her volunteer activities.

In 1997, she moved to the Gardens Assisted Living in Springfield.

Chris was a loving and giving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and will be missed by family and friends.

Her parents, Henry and Alpha Rapson, several brothers and sisters and her husband, Paul B. Fowler, preceded her in death.

Survivors include her two sons, Richard Fowler, and wife, Candace – Springfield, and Gregg Fowler, and wife, Anita - Springfield; one daughter, Kandi Lewis - Kingsland, GA; 10 grandchildren - Mara Dockery, and husband, Mike - Springfield, Mandy Claiborne, and husband, Ron - Edmond, OK, Hayley Geren, and husband, Troy - Owasso, OK, Nikolas Lewis, and wife, Shayla - Kingsland, GA, Nikole, Tamikka, Kaneisha and Krysta Lewis - Kingsland, GA, Shannon Annin - Springfield, and Larry Annin, and wife, Tracy - Hayesville, KS; nine great-grandchildren - Hannah Fowler - Owasso, OK, Zachary and Nicholas Claiborne - Edmond, OK, Karma, Kayla, Kendyll Lewis - Kingsland, GA, and Larry IV, Jennifer and Justine Annin - Hayesville, KS.

Services began at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Bland-Hackleman Chapel in El Dorado Springs. Visitation was held from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the funeral service. Rev. Brent Bland officiated and Lorraine Miller provided the music.

Burial followed in El Dorado Springs City Cemetery under the direction of Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were - Ron Claiborne, Shannon Annin, Mike Dockery, Danny Barnette, Delayne Hashagen and Travis Baldwin.

Memorial contributions may be made to the El Dorado Springs Senior Center or to the Cedar County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.