- Date Of Birth: June 1, 1917
- Date Of Death: September 11, 2015
- State: Michigan
Born June 1st 1917 in Convis Township, Fred passed at home with his family. The youngest child of Ernest Leroy Dowd(1885-1964) and Myrtle Adeline Youngs (1886-1968).
He is preceded in death by sisters Ernestine Lamoreaux and Hazel Norris, and baby brother Llewllyn James. He never finished school but could fix anything. He was a fourth-generation dairy farmer who’s great great grandmother came to Hastings, MI by Ox cart from New York. He was proud of his grandfather, John Gardner Dowd who served in the Civil War and attended a birthday dinner at the White House as a guest of President Lincoln and lived to be 95.
Fred was the oldest living Dowd he knew as his great-grandmother lived to 96 and his sister lived 95 years. He worked the family farm starting out with horses and hand tools and no electricity. With his parents by his side, he lived life simply.
Fred married Esther Ann Drallette, on January 17, 1942. They had six children together who survive, John (Marilyn), Edwin, Ann, Ellen (Ron) Gallegos, Frank (Shirley) and Joyce (Bob) Byers; 11 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and 2 great great-grandchildren.
Also surviving are nieces Yvonne Crago and Carolyn Kramer. Esther died following an accident on the family farm in 1961. Fred married Izetta Deatheridge in 1983 and they enjoyed gardening, travel and square dances.
She preceded him in death in 1989. His close companions Evelyn Miller and Eve Waldron preceded him in death, as well.
Fred could take you down any Michigan road and tell you where you were, who used to farm the land, and how to get anywhere else you wanted to go without using a map or GPS. If your family lived in Michigan it’s a good chance he knew your “folks” and could talk a country mile to anyone. The dairy farm provided his family with what they needed to survive. He lived through hard times, but he never gave up. He loved music, especially the violin and the harmonica always learning new songs to play well into his 90’s. He used to “call” square dances and was determined to have all his children learn to square dance. He followed the Indian and Amish ways for living life naturally. So, dad, Allemande left with the corner maid, Meet your own and promenade home.
