CARTHAGE, NY — Iola Mae McAllister Stowell was born on March 10, 1930, at her childhood home in Pitcairn, NY, in the midst of a March blizzard. Her grandmother delivered her when the local doctor was unable to get there. Iola was the daughter of Sylvia “Susie” Remington and Maurice “Mac” McAllister and grew up in Pitcairn, near Harrisville, NY.
She graduated from Harrisville High School in 1946, then moved to the Carthage area and worked for a short time at a local paper mill. She met her future husband, Leo J. Stowell, while working there. They were married Oct. 18, 1947, at the Church of Christ, in Harrisville, with the Rev. W.C. Chapman, officiating. She was a former ward secretary in the skilled nursing unit at the Carthage Area Hospital.
Iola and Leo lived most of their adult lives on Liberty Street in West Carthage before moving to Northland Estates south of Watertown in 1994. For several years they wintered in Leesburg, Florida. Iola and Leo were also founding members of the Carthage VFW Post 7227 Auxiliary and served in many positions at the local and statewide levels.
Leo died in 2005 and for the last few years Iola was a resident at the Brookside Senior Community in Lowville.
Iola is survived by two daughters, Sandra and her husband, Lynn Hunneyman of Belleville, NY and Sharon and her husband, Mike Tabolt of New Bremen, NY. She also has five adult grandchildren, Nicole, Daniel, Natalie, Corey and Jessica along with their spouses and six great- grandchildren, Laura, Anna, Lillian, Donovan, Alexa and Sofia. One great granddaughter, Naomi, predeceased her.
Iola, although being an only child, focused her life on her family especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She took great pride in their accomplishments and looked forward to their many visits over the years. She also enjoyed their winters in Florida very much and one of her favorite sayings was, “It’s in Florida” whenever she couldn’t find something.
A calling hour will be held 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at the Lundy Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Inc., 500 State St., Carthage. A Funeral Service will follow in the chapel of the funeral home at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Mark Strader officiating.
Iola will be buried next to her husband in the Stowell family plot in the Fairview Cemetery on South James St. in Carthage, New York.
Online condolences in her memory can be made to www.lundyfuneralhome.com