Obit of Bertha Velma Sowle (s400) - Roger Mills County, OK 28 Aug 2002
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Surnames: Sowle, Small, Guernsey, Trammell 

Originally posted at:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/4966

Bertha Velma Sowle was born in Cheyenne, Oklahoma, on July 14, 1901, 
to Cyrus Everett and Lucy Emaline Trammell Guernsey.  Bertha passed 
away on March 10, 1994, at the ago of 92 at Southwest Memorial 
Hospital.

She married Worth Small on December 21, 1919, and started a family, 
James Everett (J.E.) and Joe Wendell Small, and twin boys, 03-22-
1929, who died at birth.

In the mid-forties the family moved to Yellow Jacket, Colorado where 
her paternal grandparents, the Guernsey's had homesteaded, and where 
her parents had already moved.  This is where they continued to live 
for several years.

Bertha and Worth cooked in mine, oil field and timber areas where 
they made many friends and were well known for good food.  They 
retired in the fifties and moved to 410 N. Beeah in Cortez, Colorado 
when Bertha's parents became ill.  They cared for them until their 
death and this was to be their home and their lifetime.  Both 
enjoyed their family, friends, gardening, going to the mountains and 
fishing, until Worth passed away on March 9, 1969.

Bertha married Lawrence Sowle in September of 1971 and continued to 
live on Beech St.  They had friends in to eat, playing cards and did 
some traveling before Lawrence passed away in 1976.  Her companion 
for the last seven or eight years of her life was a beautiful 
"Kittly Blu."  He as a frequent visitor of hers after she moved to 
Madison house.

Bertha loved to outdoors.  She made a big garden and had fruit 
trees, lots of lowers and a nice lawn, all of which she took care of 
as long as possible.  Even after she had to have a cane, and then a 
walker, she would put them aside and depending on her hoe for 
balance she would be out in her flower beds in the summer.

She loved to cook and have friends in and was famous for her fresh 
apple cakes. She baked these every Christmas and gave them as gifts 
along with other "goodies".  She enjoyed this part of the holidays.  
Her friends came over and they cooked, visisted and ate as they 
cooked, visisted and ate as they worked.  She loved this, as she did 
all of her life.

She was active in her church.  She rarly missed a service as long as 
she could possibly go.  She drove her own car until she was in her 
late 80's and was very independent and seldom asked for help.  She 
was never "down" for long and had a great sense of humor.  She could 
laugh at herself and with others.

Bertha was a multi-talented  lady and besides cooking, gardening and 
fishing, she sewed, crocheted, embroidered and tatted.  Five days 
before her death she was tatting lace and embroidering pillow cases.  
Two weeks before, she was playing hymns on her harmonica at a church 
service at Madison House.  She also played the pian and loved to 
sing.

In January of 1993 unable to stay alone any longer, she moved to 
Madison House.  She met old friends and made new ones and took part 
in all their activities.  On  March 7th she fell and broke her hip 
and was put in the hospital where she passed away on the 10th, 1994.  
Her humor was intact to the end.  She said, "I have a new Indian 
name, it's Bertha Faillsdown."   That is the way she lived her life.

Cheyenne Star,Cheyenne, OK 14-Apr-1994