Known as Dee, she was born in Ridgeway, Mo., April 28, 1938, to Dorothy and Jasper Simpson. They moved to California then back to Kansas City, Kan., in 1942 when her father took a position with North American Aviation.  Her father retired from the Kansas City Kansas Board of Education in 1979 as a teacher and administrator.

Dee attended Roosevelt Grade School and graduated from Wyandotte High School in 1955.

Dee and Ralph Dugan Cowan were married on March 9, 1957.
They had four children: Cheryl Willis, Overland Park, Kan.; Laura Kyle, Drexel, Mo.; Ronald Cowan, La Cygne, Kan.; and Michael Cowan, Overland Park, Kan.
Four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Surviving also is her brother Jasper Simpson, Kansas City, Kan.

Dee was involved in Ralph’s businesses while raising four children and was always at Ralph’s side supporting him in every way. 

During the 18 years Ralph raced cars all over the Midwest, she and the kids traveled with him and they were always there for “Dad.”  Dee was always sacrificing her needs to be supportive to Ralph and the kids. It was always family first.
Dee and Ralph moved from Kansas City, Kan., in 1966 to Leawood, Kan., where they lived until moving to the La Cygne area where they built a house in 1983.

Dee was an Amateur Radio Operator (HAM) for 25 years, achieving the highest license available from the FCC.

She and Ron have organized the radio club’s Hamfest open house every February at La Cygne’s Community Building for 18 years.

A malignant tumor was detected December 8, 2017, and removed from her colon on January 4, 2018. Dee was otherwise very healthy and with much deliberation she and Ralph chose to follow the doctors’ suggestions and had her first chemotherapy on March 7th of this year. There was the “normal” nausea that goes with this treatment. Otherwise no problems surfaced. Her second treatment on March 21st caused negative effects and on March 25th she was admitted to St. Luke’s emergency room with the symptoms of a chemo reaction. She was eventually diagnosed with Febrile Neutropenia, a condition known to be caused by chemotherapy treatment. It has a 96 percent mortality rate.

She fought very hard to save her life but it slipped away every day for 23 days. She passed away April 17th at 10:43 p.m. at St. Luke’s South with her husband and children at her side.

No donations are suggested, but if you would like to do something for your loved ones, have them consider all options and all possibilities of any negative effects before they subject themselves to any type of chemotherapy. There is a very good chance Dee would have lived many good years if the choice had not been to try chemotherapy.

She will be missed by anyone who knew her; she was
“Special”, not many made like her.

Arrangements by
Schneider Funeral Home.  Family only service, burial in Brooklyn
Cemetery.

OBITUARIES

John Ted Miles ~ 01-29-1960 to 05-01-2025

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Linn County News Published May 14, 2025   John Ted Miles passed away suddenly May 1, 2025, at the Guest Home Estates Assisted Living Facility in Fort Scott, Kan. He lived at 9 N. Hillside Drive, Holiday Lakes, before his battle with diabetes caused blindness and a... [More]

Zachary Eldon White ~ 06-12-1992 to 04-29-2025

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Linn County News Published May 7, 2025   Zachary Eldon White, 32, of Mound City, Kan., died on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. He was born on June 12, 1992, in Fort Scott, Kan., the son of Roger and Jessica Smith White. He graduated from Jayhawk Linn High School in the Class... [More]

Rebecca S. Landers 12-30-1964 to 04-18-2025

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Linn County News Published May 7, 2025   Rebecca S. Landers, 60, wife of Troy Landers, passed away Friday, April 18, 2025, at the Horton House in Fort Scott, Kan. She was born Dec. 30, 1964, in Ottawa, Kan., the daughter of Maurice Edward Zimmerman and Sarah Ellen... [More]

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PLEASANTON WEATHER

NEWS

Pleasanton requests 1-year automatic aid fire extension

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Council opts to bolster fire department during grace period   Continuing what ended in a tabled discussion two weeks ago on whether to keep or dissolve the Pleasanton Fire Department, the council met Monday night at the Community Center and again heard from the public... [More]

Commissioners hear update, discuss aid agreement for Pleasanton FD

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During their May 12 meeting, the commissioners questioned Linn County Rural Fire Chief Randy Hegwald on where the county stood with mutual aid agreements with municipal fire departments, in particular the one for Pleasanton. Commissioner Jim Johnson noted he had received several... [More]

Filing deadline approaches for local seats

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Filing deadline is noon on June 2 for open positions on local city government and school district boards; as well as, for Linn County seats on the Marais des Cygnes K-State Research and Extension district board. Danielle Souza, county clerk, said that candidates can file for... [More]

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SPORTS

Pleasanton baseball splits against Jayhawk

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The Pleasanton baseball team hosted Jayhawk Linn in a double header on May 6. This was the Jays’ final regular season games before the 2A Regional tournament starting on May 14. The Jays split against the Hawks winning the first game 6-1 but losing the second game 3-6.... [More]

Prairie View softball defeats Osawatomie and Girard

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The Prairie View softball team played Osawatomie and Girard this past week.  The Lady Buffs did well as they traveled to Osawatomie on May 6 and beat the Trojans in a double header, 11-1 and 15-2. The team then hosted Girard on May 9 and the Lady Buffs won a close game... [More]

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