James Kent Lowe 19 DEC 1932 - 24 SEP 2007

Lincoln Journal Star, September 25, 2007

Obituary

James Kent Lowe, (74) died Monday, September 24, 2007 at St. Elisabeth Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska from a courageous 10 month battle with cancer and heart disease.

Jim was born December 19, 1932 in Thayer County, Nebraska, the son of James Chester and V. Ilene (Coonrod) Lowe-Waltman. He moved to Mahaska, Washington Co., KS at an early age where he spent his childhood and attended school.

He played in the high school band, and excelled in football, basketball and baseball. His basketball skills resulted in being named to a Kansas All-State team in 1949. He received a football scholarship to the University of Nebraska in 1950, playing one semester, then elected to transfer to Fairbury Jr. College where he was on the All-Conference basketball teams in 1951 and 1952. He graduated from Fairbury Jr. College in 1952 and delayed further college until the Korean War was over. Enlisting in the Air Force he was stationed at Kessler AFB in Mississippi, Kwajaline Island in the Pacific and Offutt AFB in Nebraska.

On August 12, 1951 he was united in marriage to Delores Marie Buchmeier at the Methodist Church in Fairbury, Nebraska and to this union four children were born: Karen Sue, Kathleen Joyce, Daniel Eric and Nancy Anne.

After serving four years of military duty Jim worked for a time as an apprentice accountant for the Phillip G. Johnson firm in Lincoln. He was employed in 1957 as an Air Traffic Control Specialist in Kansas City, MO, later transferring to the control tower at the Lincoln Municipal Airport. He retired in December 1977, and worked as an assistant golf professional at the Holmes Golf Course in Lincoln for two years and as a real estate salesman for Gateway Realty and Woods Bros. Realty until 1982. During 1982 the University of Oklahoma contacted him and asked that he accept a temporary assignment training new air traffic controllers after the infamous firing of old controllers by President Reagan. He accepted and worked as an instructor in Oklahoma City for seven years.

Jim continued to work part-time at Holmes Golf Course Pro Shop during the summer months and spent ten years behind the counter there. He also loved to play golf and was fairly successful in local and national tournaments for many years. Among the many tournaments he won were the Lincoln Publinks three times, Seward Amateur four times, Fairbury Open four times, the Lincoln City Amateur once, the Lincoln City Senior Amateur ten times and the Nebraska State Senior Amateur once. He also qualified for the U.S.G.A. National Senior Amateur five times.

An organizing member of the Lincoln Municipal Golfers Association he continued his membership even while in Oklahoma during the 1980s. He also served on the Board of Directors in the 1960s. In May of this year he and other founding members were honored for their commitment to the LMGA.

Jim is survived by his wife Delores, three daughters and one son, Karen and Randy Rowe, Kathleen and Bobbie Kitchen, Nancy Niemeyer, Daniel and Mary Lowe all of Lincoln. His grandchildren are Mike and Kyla Boles, Chacey Jones, Gentry, Kendall and Cameron Kitchen, Ryan and Lauren Niemeyer, all of Lincoln, stepgrandchildren Dustin Rowe of Lorena, TX, Staff Sergeant Denise Rothwell of Lincoln, Specialist Kyle Schneider of Ft. Bragg, NC, Private 1st Class Nathan Schneider of Camp Pendleton, San Diego, CA, Taylor Schneider of Lincoln and great grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother and sister-in-law Doyle and Darlene Lowe of Lincoln and sister-in-law Donna Cook of Fairbury, along with many cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends.

He is preceded in death by his parents James Chester Lowe and Ilene Lowe-Waltman, son-in-law Michael Niemeyer and grandson Jordan Michael Niemeyer.

Services were held Friday, September 28, 10:30 am at the First Evangelical Free Church, 3300 South 84th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, Pastor Terry Bock officiating. Pallbearers: Chuck Domant, Tom Davis, Rich McLaughlin, Bill Clore, Dave Pauley, Mike Millikan. Honorary pallbearers: Dan Ott, Gary Haas, Gary Shields, Mike McPherson, Dennis Seaman, Rex Smith and Gene Smith. Burial at Lincoln Memorial Park. Memorials to the American Cancer Society.