Alma Ruth Rowlands

Born 2-28-1917 to Clarence and Annie Mitchell Crippen in Rago, Kansas.

Died 2-08-2015 at Meadowlark Hills, Collins House Manhattan, Kansas.

Her mother died when Alma was 18 months old, and she then began a childhood of foster care. She spoke little of her childhood. Following graduation from Kingman High School, Kingman, Kansas, Alma worked her way through and graduated from, Emporia State College, majoring in Latin and Spanish. She began her teaching career in Valley Center, Kansas. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Ward McLaughlin. After their marriage in 1943, Alma worked at Beech Aircraft in Wichita, Ks as a welding inspector before enlisting in the newly formed Coast Guard Spars. She was assigned to the Coast Guard Training Station in Manhattan Beach, New York.

Following military discharge in 1945, Alma returned to Valley Center where she and Ward lived on his family farm and awaited the birth of their daughter, Laura Darlien. Their married life was spent on this farm. Ward died in 1956 and for the next 10 years Alma was devoted to the rearing and education of her daughter. Much of this time was spent in Lawrence, KS where Alma taught Latin in the public schools.

She completed her Master's Degree in Spanish from the University of Kansas and returned to Emporia where she became the Head of the Latin Department at Emporia State College. While in Emporia, she met and married Thomas Wayne Rowlands. During this marriage, Alma unofficially adopted Tom's daughter Nancy Carol and his son Brent.

Following Tom's death, Alma lived several years in Herington, KS where she was close to her daughter's family. These years she spent volunteering at the Senior Center and assisting the organization and operation of the community food bank and clothing shop.

She moved to Manhattan in 1998 and lived several years at Colorado Plaza. She belonged to the First Baptist Church and, as she had sung in church choirs most of her life, she continued to sing in the choir until after her 90th birthday.

Six years ago she moved to Meadowlark Hills, Collins House when progressive dementia prevented her from continuing to live alone. She has lived her final years at Meadowlark Hills keeping very busy with the many group activities offered as well as watching K-State games and playing her favorite card game, Kings on the Corner. She continued to enjoy singing and read her Bible daily. Her Christian faith was always and faithfully at the center of her life which she lived serving others without prejudice or judgment. For this quietly determined lady, failure was never an option.

Alma was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Mitchell Crippen; sisters, Hazel Burkhalter and Ina Mae Crippen; husbands; Ward McLaughlin and Tom Rowlands. She is missed and remembered lovingly by her daughter Laura McLaughlin Henning (Stephen) of Manhattan; Step-daughter Nancy Carol Rowlands Schoeck of Tulsa, Oka; Step-son Brent Rowlands (Decie) of Suffolk, Va.; 13 Grandchildren; 5 Great Grandchildren, and 1 Great-Great Grandchild. You are invited to attend a memorial service Saturday Feb 21 at Meadowlark Hills in the Community Room at 1:00 p.m. There will be an opportunity to visit with family from 1:30 to 2:30, following the service.

You are invited to share memories of Alma in the online comments section.