Carol Jean Owens' Obituary
Known to all who loved her as Jeanie, she was a beautiful, soulful woman with a warm hearty laugh who loved being surrounded by family and friends. While she was great at small talk, she much preferred deeper connection and gravitated to those conversations where she learned about what was on people’s minds and in their hearts. She loved easily and forgave quickly. Jeanie loved photography, painting and sketching, gardening, cooking, listening to music, and reading. She loved afternoon naps and a good, strong cup of coffee when she woke.
She was born in Eunice, Louisiana in 1930, attended Westlake High School in Westlake, LA where she was part of the homecoming court and voted the “Best All Around Girl”. From there, she studied Home Economics at Southwestern Louisiana Institute. After a short stint in nursing school, she returned to her parents’ home and reunited with her old friend, Edward Lee Owens. They fell in love and married in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1951 and had two sons, Edward L. Owens, Jr. and Michael W. (Mickey) Owens in quick succession.
After he left the Air Force, Edward (Eddie) worked for Dow Chemical, which gave the family an opportunity to move around. Jeanie had a wonderful sense of adventure and loved to travel. Their travels took them from Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, and Oklahoma to eventually living in Brussels, Belgium and Terneuzen, Netherlands. While in Europe, she and Eddie traveled widely and she discovered some of her favorite cities (Budapest, Paris). After a brief time spent at home in Lake Jackson, Texas, she and Eddie moved to Victoria, Australia, returning to Lake Jackson two years later.
While in Lake Jackson, Jeanie studied art history and worked as an activities director at a local nursing home.
After Eddie died, Jeanie moved to Fishville, LA to be closer to her family. This small rural community in central Louisiana was the place where Jeanie had the freedom to explore all the things she loved and interested her: She was a keen observer of the life and people around her and told witty stories; she dabbled in reading tea leaves until she saw something that frightened her and stopped; and, she taught women’s groups how to use homegrown loofahs to polish their skin. Jeanie and her mother Fern started Ridgaway Herb Farm and became known for their delicious homemade bread and soup. Jeanie had a local cooking show where she taught people how to use fresh herbs in their cooking and was featured on the PBS show “A Taste of Louisiana with Chef John Volse”. She and Fern later went on to open the Ridgaway Herb Farm and Tea Room in Alexandria, LA.
She attended St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Pineville, LA, where her interest in what it means to be a human being led to her training to become a spiritual director. She later moved to Lexington, KY, where she continued her spiritual direction at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, making new friends, gardening, and living her life. For the past few years, Jeanie was part of the community at Ashland Terrace and enjoyed working in their beautiful gardens. Jeanie handled all that was thrown her way, good or bad, with humor, grace, and love.
Jeanie was predeceased by her husband, Edward Lee Owens (1978), her son Michael Wade (Mickey) Owens (2011), her father Elmer Lamar Lowe (1985), and her mother Doris Fern (Ridgaway) Lowe (2001).
Jeanie leaves behind her sister Patricia Ann (Lowe) Dubus of Amesbury, MA;
her son Edward Lee Owens, Jr. and his wife Selma (Dawahare) of Lexington, KY, and their son Edward Lee (Trey) Owens, III, of New York, NY; her grandchildren Jennifer Lee Owens (Gwin Schiele) and Michael Wade Owens, Jr. She leaves behind four great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and many, many friends.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to a community that Jeanie loved: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 2025 Bellefonte Drive, Lexington, KY 40503; or Ashland Terrace, 475 South Ashland Avenue, Lexington, KY 40502.
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