Volume 17 , Issue 1

Wiley H. Cowan Obituary

Written by Thomas "Tom" Jefferson Dyer. Another obituary penned by Tom Dyer. Opal Nighswonger is listed as one of Wiley's daughters and was the principal at Longfellow School in Alva during 1947-1951. Thanks to Joy Sherman for sharing these Tom Dyer writings with the Okie Legacy.

Wiley H. Cowan

On Monday morning, November 11, 1935, the news was broadcast throughout our city and county that another of the old-time pioneers had answered the last roll call, and that great reveille had tolled for our old time friend, Wiley Cowan. Perhaps it would be more fitting to say that he was a pioneer of pioneers having spent the major portion of his long life on the early frontier of what was called the Great American Desert. He was born in the state of Illinois in October, 1847. At the age of 15 years he left the parental home to seek adventure in the west. His first venture was from Westport Landing near Kansas City, where he engaged himself as a teamster to drive an ox team in one of those overland freighters caravans over the old Santa Fe Trail to Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was in the year 1863, more than 72 years ago. While on a visit to his eldest daughter, Mrs. Hazel Wiebner (sic), and husband, Fred Wiebner (sic), who at that time were living near Springer, N. M., Wiley located the place where the old trail had been over which he had traveled more than a half century before.

After his experience as a teamster and freighter, Wiley Cowan chose the life of a cowboy, and in the following year made five trips from Texas, across the wild wastes of the Indian Territory to the wide expanse of Kansas prairies, and the markets of Kansas towns. Two of the trips were with herds of cattle and three were made with herds of horses. At this time he was in the employ of a man named Col. Leroy M. T. Pope, who by the way was the grandfather of one of our genial fellow-townsmen, Roy Day, manager for the Kavannaugh (sic) and Shea hardware company.

This man Pope was an old trail driver who followed the business for years, and who also owned a ranch in Sedgwick County, Kansas on the Ninnescah and Cowskin near Mount Hope. It has been suggested to me that it was at this ranch where Wiley first met the girl who in later years became his wife and companion. About the year 1874 he came to Old Kiowa in Barber County to engage in the cattle business. These were perilous days in that part of the country, Indians were on the warpath, stockades were being built at old Kiowa and Medicine Lodge to protect the white settlers who had come to Barber County to find homes. He had associated with him the late Clark Bunton, with whom he had worked on ranch and trail, sharing each others trials and hardships, they became life-long friends.

Wiley Cowan, the cowboy, none better I'll own,
Astride a cayuse, has ever been known,
He started out in his youthful years,
To follow the droves of long-horn steers,
In the early spring when the grass was green,
-- ¨From San Antonio up to Abilene,
Across rivers, mountains, through woodland and vale,
He traversed the famous old Chisholm Trail,
And many times, on his trusted steed,
-- ¨He pointed the herd in a wild stampede.

On December 22, 1882, he was united in marriage to Manda Day near Anthony, Kansas. It was a happy union of congenial lives. Life took on a more serious side as the problems of life confronted them. Five children came to bless this union, three of whom are still living: John Cowan, of Buffalo, Okla., and Mrs. Hazel Wiebner (sic) and Mrs. Opal Nighswonger of Alva, Oklahoma.

After their marriage they followed the vocations of ranch life in the year 1883. The Salt Fork and Eagle Chief pool was organized, its personnel was composed of the following members: D. R. Streeter, M. J. Lane, Frank Shelly, Billy Powell, Charles Moore, A. W. Rumsey, Charles Stowell, Major Moderwell, D. Donovan, Wiley Cowan, Clark Bunton, Henry Wick and Frank Stacy. Wiley Cowan was chosen as foreman of the organization. He remained in the cattle business until the Cherokee Strip Livestock Association was disbanded, and the cowmen were driven out of the Cherokee Outlet. At the opening of the Outlet to settlement in 1893, Wiley Cowan secured a fine homestead in the Ashley community where the family resided for something like 12 years. Here he organized the first Sunday school in that neighborhood, and was chosen as its superintendent, assisted by his good wife as co-worker in this laudable undertaking. It is related that not all of the adult population attended the school at first, but the children (God bless them) they were there, and going home gave such glowing accounts of the Sunday school that the parents were induced to go. It became known far and wide as the most earnest organization of its kind. It was a union Sunday school. Wiley Cowan's philosophy of life was to do good, his creed, the Golden Rule. Whatsoever ye would that others should do unto you, do ye even so to them. This was exemplified in his everyday life, as many of his old time neighbors and associates will gladly tell you when they recall the many kindly acts and liberal generosity of their old time friend, Wiley Cowan.

Selling the old homestead, he bought land and established a ranch near Buffalo and Selman in Harper County, Oklahoma, and which they still own. Bereft of his wife and loving companion on February 24, 1924, he divided his time among his children. In the early part of 1927, he was stricken with paralysis at his ranch near Buffalo, at the home of his son, John Cowan. The malady did not readily respond to any treatment, later he was brought to the home of his daughter, Mrs. Opal Nighswonger, at Alva. Here he spent the remainder of his life a helpless invalid until an all-wise heavenly father released him and said, "-- Tis enough, come up higher." His age, 88 years and 14 days.

Eighteen years beyond the allotted span
The Lord accorded to mortal man
-- ¨He lived, his later years so weak and frail,
Ere he reached the end of the long, long trail.
-- Twas in the early dawn, a fitting time,
To leave this earth to a happier clime,
When the angels came and wafted away
His imprisoned spirit from its home of clay,
The realms of that eternal day.

With many of his old friends and neighbors, I attended the last rites to pay a tribute to the respect to our departed friend who was beloved by all who knew him best. At the Maughlin and Howerton funeral parlor where it was held, the casket was banked with many beautiful wreaths of flowers, his inanimate form reposing among them as if only asleep. A fitting eulogy was given by Rev. Phil Deschner, pastor of the First Methodist Church, while the music by the ladies quartet was beautiful and appropriate.

Six of his grandsons were the pall bearers, a splendid tribute by these young men to their grandfather. Their names, Orville Wiebener, Anadarko, Okla., Paul Wiebener, Alva, John Nighswonger, Alva, Hal Cowan, Woodward, Burt Wenel, Hardtner, Kansas, Bob Selman, Woodward. There was one grandson, J. Wiley Cowan whose home is in Glendale, Calif., who could not be present at his grandfather's funeral. His remains were laid to rest by the side of his wife in the beautiful A.O.U.W. cemetery overlooking the city.

Many old time cowboys, gone on before,
Await his coming on that golden shore.
To him they extend a welcome hand,
A reunited and happy band. ~~ T. J. DYER
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