Eva Irene Lowry
Heaven welcomed its newest angel, Eva Irene Lowry, on Friday May 12, 2023, at 8:25 a.m.
Many knew her as "Toby," lovingly nicknamed by her big Brother.
She was joyfully welcomed into the world by her Parents Roy Charles Jewell and Bessie Mae Bybee Jewell on July 27, 1934.
Toby was preceded in death by her father, mother, brother William Jewell, her sister Jaunita Jewell Lloyd, and her Husband Richard E. Lowry.
She attended grade school through high school in Fort Scott, where she met her best and lifelong friend, Helen Rosalee Coyan Rager, who married Darrell Rager, her husband Richard's best friend. What fun it was to raise their kids across the street from one another.
At the tender age of 11, Toby saw a young man downtown and said, "Mom, I love his looks. I'm going to marry him!" Five years later, on March 30, 1951, she married him! The love of her life, Richard E. Lowry.
After a brief time of living in Wichita and Kansas City, KS, they settled in Fort Scott. Richard went to work for Beltone. A year later, in 1959 he and Toby started their own hearing aid business called Lowry Hearing Aid Service. Toby and Richard became hearing aid specialists, helping people to hear better in Southeast Kansas. They both were well-loved by their clients.
To sound more businesslike, Toby began using "Irene" after promising her beloved husband to take good care of his people upon his untimely passing on July 8, 1983. Irene took over the business by herself. She had a faithful and devoted attitude and work ethic in her business and personal life.
She loved to give whatever she did 100%, whether it was serving on the local school board, the Kansas Hearing Aid Society Board, the school PTA, or her Church board at the 1st Church of The Nazarene, where she was a member and over the years served as Sunday School Teacher, Church Secretary, Church Treasurer, Choir member, and VBS Director for nearly 20 years.
Irene loved to feed people! She received great joy by cooking for anyone hungry! For years she, along with her husband Richard, would make all the Chili for the Annual Eugene Ware Elementary Chili Feed Fundraiser. The husband/wife duo were the creators of the tastiest Chili in Fort Scott.
Irene was also voted as Fort Scott's Business Woman of the Year. She faithfully drove to her Pittsburg office four days a week, come rain, sleet, snow, or shine, until her retirement at 82 in 2017. Leaving her people in the capable hands of her son, Brian Lowry.
Irene and Richard's marriage was blessed with four children, who she is survived by: Debra J. Ediger of Topeka, KS; Cathy A. More of Olathe, KS; Brian K. Lowry of Fort Scott, KS; and Brent D. Lowry of Yukon, OK.
She was also the proud Nannie of 8 grandchildren who loved her to the moon and back: Michelle Ediger Glaze, Brooke Ediger Larson, Caleb Bachman, Careah Bachman Pruter, Ryan Lowry, Amanda Lowry Sellers, Brayden Lowry, and Bryce Lowry. Plus 10 great-grandchildren who thought she hung the moon: Peyton and Rhyan Glaze; Blakely and Taygen Larson; Dawson and Landry Bachman; Noble, Willing, and Haven Pruter; and Adeline Sellers— all are angels, of course!
All of her accomplishments aside, Irene became a totally devoted follower of Jesus Christ in 1962. If she were here, she would give each of you what she gave to each of us — JESUS. She was the world's greatest daughter, sister, aunt, mother, and wife.
When asked if she would do anything over differently, she said that she would have married Daddy at 11, because Daddy died so young. Although she had to wait 5 years to marry him, he has waited 40 years for her to join him in Heaven!
We are so happy she's no longer in pain, and we have no doubt that she is dancing on streets of gold with Jesus and Richard.
Rev. Virgil Peck will conduct funeral services at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 18, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Ft. Scott Church of the Nazarene Youth Department and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.