Mary Ellen Cowser

     Mary Ellen Duffley Cowser died at her home on August 27 after a short illness.  The daughter of Ruth Ingersoll and Edmund Michael Duffley, Jr., she was born in Lakewood, Ohio, on December 7, 1935.  She attended St. James Elementary School in Lakewood and later the St. Augustine Academy.  At the Academy for four years she served as the pianist for the school's Chorus.  Upon graduation from school she was offered a scholarship in piano at the Cincinnati Conservatory.  Instead of pursing a career in concert performance, she enrolled in a medical technology program at Marquette University.  After earning a B.S. degree, she worked at Charity Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, as a medical technologist.

     Mary Ellen's teaching career began at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT as an instructor in the medical technology program.  She took graduate courses in English and later earned a M.A. in English at the University of Connecticut.  For four years she taught English courses at Quinnipiac.  She completed all the requirements for a doctorate in English except for the dissertation.

     In 1967 she married Robert Cowser in Hamden, CT.  They both taught English courses at Quinnipiac until 1970 when Robert accepted a teaching position at The University of Tennessee at Martin.  She began teaching English courses at UT Martin as an adjunct instructor.  In 1995 she earned tenure as an instructor.

     Mary Ellen served as president of the We Care Ministries for two years; she also served as president of the Philharmonic Music Guild.  She is survived by her husband of fifty-two years, Robert Cowser; by two daughters Mary (William) Holtz of West Long Branch, New Jersey, and Ruth (Frank) McCluskey of Ashland, MO; by two sons, Bob Jr. of Canton, NY, and James (Mandie) of Winter Springs, FL, and by eleven grandchildren.

     She was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church.  Donations in her memory may be made to We Care Ministries or to St. Jude Church.

     On Saturday, August 31, visitation at St. Jude Church will begin at 10:00 A.M. and the funeral mass at 11:00 A.M. with Father David Orsak officiating.