Louie Cowin
He was born Oct. 23, 1943, in St. Louis, Mo., a son of Edmond and Marie Burton Cowin. He married Jaynes Marie Carey on May 7, 1994, in Macomb. She preceded him in death on Dec. 31, 2022. He also was preceded in death by his parents; his adoptive father, Richard Illman; one brother, Terry Illman; and one sister, Wanda Kitch. Surviving are his children, Kim (and Rick) Kaelber of Vermont, Kevin (and Jane) Cowin of Rushville and Kent (and Barb) Cowin of Astoria; one sister, Linda (and Rick) Wamsley of Ft. Madison, Iowa; three grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. He worked for 34 years at Caterpillar, beginning at the age of 18 as a janitor. Through Caterpillar’s own education and training programs, he worked his way up and became a skilled union pipefitter, a career accomplishment he was very proud of. Following his retirement from Caterpillar, he continued working for several local contractors in the Bushnell area before later joining Batson’s Ace Hardware in the heating and cooling division. Cremation rites were accorded by Martin-Hollis Funeral Home. Private graveside services were held at the Bushnell Township Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Bushnell Fire Rescue Squad. Condolences may be sent to www.martinhollisfh.com.
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Wednesday, June 3, 2026 • Vol. 149, No. 2
Louie Edmond Cowin, 82, of Bushnell died at 3:48 p.m. May 22, 2026, at Carle Health Methodist Hospital in Peoria.
