Clinton Lee Gowell

Jim Rush Funeral Homes 220 Wildwood Avenue, S.E. 2600 North Ocoee Street Cleveland, TN 37311 Phone 423-472-4555 Fax 423-472-2012Jim Rush Funeral Homes 220 Wildwood Avenue, S.E. 2600 North Ocoee Street Cleveland, TN 37311 Phone 423-472-4555 Fax 423-472-2012Clinton Lee Gowell, 88, of Cleveland passed away Monday, February 9, 2015 at a local health care facility. He was born in Muskegon MI., October 30, 1926 to Ebbie and Carrie Holmes Gowell. He was preceded in death by2 sisters Edna Stewart and Wilda Beckley of Muskegon MI., and 3 brothers Vernon Gowell, Merlin Gowell, and Harold Gowell of Muskegon.Mr. Gowell served his country in the U.S. Navy during WWII aboard the aircraft carrier, the USS Cowpens, which was the first carrier into Tokyo Bay at the time of the Japanese surrender. He was able to watch the surrender ceremony on the USS Missouri from the deck of the USS Cowpens. He was honorably discharged from the Navy on May 12 1946 and came home to marry his sweetheart Doris Ruby Schurkamp on September 12, 1946. He was a member of the Cedar Ridge Seventh Day Adventist Church in Cleveland TN.He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years Doris Gowell, his son Roger Gowell and his wife Connie of Athens TN., 2 daughters Phyllis Lemons and her husband Joe of Cleveland, Cheryl Griffing and her husband Jim of Whitehall MI., 8 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.A Remembrance of Life Service will be announced at a later date by the Wildwood Ave. Chapel of the Jim Rush Funeral Homes. The family requests that in lieu of flowers that donations be made in the memory of Mr. Gowell to the Alzheimer’s Association, 7625 Hamilton Park Dr. Chattanooga TN., 37421.Read Obituary