Laurel Weldon Dowden

Laurel Weldon Dowden

Laurel Weldon Dowden

1934-2025

Weldon was born to Franklin and Lucile Dowden on Sept. 10, 1934 on a farm near Orrsburg (Nodaway County Missouri) in the Harmony Community. He started school at Excelsior, a one-room school, two miles from home. The teacher was Thelma Wilcox. His dad bought them a horse so that Weldon and his little sister, Mary, could ride Pee Wee the two miles to school. Weldon always liked to be with his dad as he did the chores. After the fifth grade they sold their farm in Harmony Community and bought another farm in the Myrtle Tree Community. Myrtle Tree was also a one-room school, and the teacher was Mary McCurry. Weldon enjoyed school and Ms. McCurry was a particularly good teacher. At Myrtle Tree they lived on a farm next to Grandpa Jess Dowden. Together they farmed both farms along with Jess’s brothers who also lived in the area. Saturday mornings Jess would call up Franklins and tell Weldon that the pancakes were going on the stove, and he needed to come down and get his share. Dad loved to run down the hill and spend time with his grandpa. He loved being their Go Fer, his job was to follow them out to the fields run back and get items they needed to fix whatever it was that broke down. During the hay season it was his job to control the horse which was used to move the hay up into the barn. For this he would be paid with silver dollars. He was a dead shot with the hammer and many a rabbit fell victim to his correct throws. Jess’s place is now a boat ramp and equestrian campground for Mozingo Lake Recreation Park. The old car shed was the last to fall on Dowden Place.

After eighth grade he attended Maryville High school. His sophomore year, Franklin, bought him a 37 Chevy and he took his sister Mary and Bonnie Thorp to school. He was in FFA, played basketball, football, took part in track (high jump and broad jump) and played softball. He lettered in football, track and basketball. He was elected senior class president and graduated in 1952 from Maryville High School. Bob Smith, Curly Wray and Kenny Wilhelm were all close friends of his and they kept this friendship going all their lives, going on many vacations together.

Weldon attended Northwest Missouri State Teachers College and majored in chemistry and mathematics graduating in 1956. He loved sports and spent three years in basketball and track for the Bearcats and was a member of the Sigma Tau Fraternity. His nickname was Dinker Dowden as his classmates would holler “Sinker Dinker!” when he was on the basketball court. He was also elected to the student senate. During his senior year he joined the Missouri National Guard and continued serving in the guard for eight years reaching the rank of Sergeant finishing in the Armory at Pampa, Texas.

On June 1, 1956, he was joined in wedlock with Betty Louise Owens from Hopkins, Missouri. After a brief honeymoon in the Ozarks, they moved to Borger, Texas where he went to work for Phillips Petroleum at the Copolymer plant. Borger was a shock to the couple as they were used to the lush farm fields of northwest Missouri. Their first home was an apartment with dirt floors in the Phillips Camp at Buena Vista. Later they moved to better quarters and finally bought a home in the Hughs Pit area of Borger. They developed strong friendships with several couples at the United Methodist Church which they have enjoyed to the present day.

They had three children in Borger, Tom, Scott and Tanya. They lived in Borger until 1969 when Weldon was transferred to the Hoag fertilizer plant in Beatrice, Nebraska. Mark was born into the family at this time. In 1972 they moved to Seabrook, Texas, and he worked as the Training Director at Adams Terminal until 1976 when he was transferred to the Streamwood, Illinois plant as Plant Manager. In 1979 he was made Plant Manager of the Carbon Black plant in Borger, Texas. In 1981 he was promoted to Director of Safety for Phillips Petroleum Company and moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma where he retired as Head of Corporate Safety. He and Betty have lived the rest of their lives in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Weldon was an avid golfer and loved to watch the St. Louis Cardinals play baseball. He loved to watch the Cowboys and the Chiefs and would watch almost anything with a basketball.

He passed peacefully Feb 4, 2025 with his wife by his side. He is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Betty Dowden; sister, Mary Hutcheon (Mike) Colorado Springs; children: Thomas and Terrye Dowden of Amarillo, Texas; Scott and Laura Dowden of Maryville, Missouri, Tanya and Mike Reece of Miami, Oklahoma, and Mark Dowden of Atlanta, Georgia; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

No services are planned.