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Gulf Cogs/ Personalities
St. Louis resident celebrate 93rd birthday
JOE PILET Special to the Herald
In Bay St. Louis, nov. 24 will be no ordinary day for friends of Mrs. Jesse Cowand, a respected citizen who celebrates her 93rd birthday anniversary on that date.
Born Inga Caroline Karlson of a Norwegian family in the year 1883, at the age of four years she came to live in Bay St. Louis. Throughout these years she had endeared herself to all who know her by setting a constant example of how to go about the business of living happily. By her simple philosophy, she
MRS. JESSE COWAND Respected citizen
has proven that "people live longer and are more interesting if they keep busy and find something new to do."
At the age of 19, Inga was married to Jesse Cowand, a descendant of the original Jesse Cowand who came from Norfolk, Va., to own and operate a plantation and built a spacious home, now a landmark facing the Bay of St. Louis on North Beach Drive at boardman Avenue. Elmwood, as the home was named, is built of bricks first used as ship's ballast and of mortar made from oyster shells.
“For all these things there is a season," according to Mrs. Cowand, who is the mother of 10 children and has with grace and ease
fitted her life and activities into each phase. The early years were filled with the noise and bustle of educating and training a houseful of lively children, all of whom have made their contribution to society.
What does a mother do when the children leave home and the house is quiet and still? "Take it In stride”, was Mrs. Cowand's ready response, "and find useful work to do.
“I have always loved everything beautiful”, Mrs. Cowand explained, “and after I raised my family there was time for cultivating lovely flowers, doing fancy work — needlepoint, corchet, embroidery and there was time to read and listen to beautiful music."
The big family and many friends were recipients of much of the fancy work. Linen table cloths were embroidered and had hemstitched for each child, and numerous afghans were crocheted for children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. Exquisite needlepoint pictures, worthy of a museum and made with yarns shading into some 20 colors were carefully worked and framed. At the age of 90, crewel art was explored and plans made for piecing some quilts!
What does one do when the eye sight fails? When hearing dims? When glaucoma and cataracts appear? "There is a season for that, too”, smiled Mrs. Cowand with serene acceptance. “Although I have lost completely the sight in one eye, an operation last summer left me with enough sight in the other to distinguish objects. Although I can no longer appreciate the colors of the flowers, I still love their fragrance. From memory I can crochet and my daughter, he-lene, helps me with the colors."
According to the Reverend Charles Johnson, rector of the Christ Episcopal Church In Bay St. Louis, Mrs. Cowand Is the oldest communicant within his parish. Earlier this month she made and contributed a beautiful crochet Afghan which was sold at the church
bazaar and brought eight dollars.
There are two names on the mailbox in front of the attractive white brick house in which Mrs. Cowand lives on Highland Drive with her daughter, Mrs. Helene Price.
For many years Julia Street (named for Julia Cowand) was the home of Mrs. Cowand, and it was conveniently near the Cowand pri- _ vate cemetery located on Leopold. Hurricane Camille destroyed much of the Julia Street property and the Cowand tract which originally ran from the Beach Front all the way to Jourdan River has been divided and sold. Part of it is being developed by famed jazz musician Pete Fountain. A son, Malcolm, still lives on Julia Street.
Mrs. Cowand’s remarkable memory aided by a scrapbook and . many clippings has served as an excellent source of history for journalists of Hancock County. She was able to provide accurate Information about the oldest existing home in Bay St. Louis, now owned and occupied by the Hunter S. Kimbroughs, and located at 806 North Beach. This house was the original home of the late Gertrude Cowand Penny who recorded and placed within the walls her Interesting family history. The sealed bottle with this Information came to light when the Kimbrough's removed a wall while remodeling the home.
Mrs. Cowand recalls vividly early days of Bay St. Louis — the old wooden hotels and schools, the bottle works, the oyster factory and canning plant, Indian legend and lore and much, much more.
Although her children are scat- -tered from New Orleans to Vir-ginia and from the Gulf Coast to Texas they are a close knit group" '■ and keep in continuous contact „ with the matriarch whose worka- VX ble philosophy and cheerful adap- ■£' tation to all stages of life has been '> an inspiration. Children include ‘ * Helen Cowand Price, Jesse R. Cowand, Malcolm A. Cowand, Carl v? C. Cowand, Eulalie Cowand Jordy, Elllott K. Cowand, Ruby E. Cow-'Jj?; and, Hubert L. Cowand and Glen*^/ L. Cowand.	>•'