Lucy Ann Rowley

Lucy Ann Rowley, age 85, of Coloma, passed away peacefully Sunday, October 13, 2024 at her home.

She was born April 10, 1939 in Loveland, Colorado the daughter of Arthur H. and Beatrice (Walker) Rowley. Lucy was a graduate of Fort Collins High School in Colorado. She graduated from Texas Women’s College and attained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. She taught college at Madison, Oshkosh and Green Bay. Lucy moved to Waushara County in 1969. She was the first woman to be elected to the Waushara County Board of Supervisors and served from 1980 until 1984.

Later, she was appointed as Waushara County Social Services Director for 15 years until her retirement in 2005. During that time, Lucy not only advocated for meeting human service needs but also was instrumental in forging multi-county alliances to meet those needs. She was instrumental in the creation of Cooperative Care in Waushara County and wrote the first grant to establish the ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Center) in Waushara County. She was respected by her peers. She was named to the CAP Services Board and was named the recipient of the Gaylord Nelson Anti-Poverty Warrior award in 1990 for her advocacy on behalf of the poor and her efforts to secure funding for progressive human service programs in Waushara County.

Lucy loved her canine and feline companions, traveling, and gardening. Lucy felt that the most important things in life were education and learning.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Samuel Rowley and his wife Bernice; one brother, Samuel Rowley and his wife Grace; and by her special friend, Joanna M. Sherman. Survivors include her friends who have become family, Martha “Marty” Lee, Walter and Sandra Zuehlke, Dina and Roy Plumb (as well as other dear friends).

Special thanks are given to Heartland Hospice, Marshfield Clinic Systems along with family and friends for their support and care for Lucy. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Waushara County Aging and Disability Resource Center, 380 South Townline Road, Wautoma, WI 54982. No formal services will be held, and a memorial service/fundraising event for Waushara County Senior Nutrition Program will be held in the future.