Oct. 2, 1918 - March 8, 2010

ELKHART -- Thelma Mae Lowell, 91, of Elkhart, died at 5:09 p.m. Monday (March 8, 2010) at Elkhart General Hospital.

She was born Oct. 2, 1918, in Elkhart to Ora and Zeffa (Jamison) Cunningham. She married Charles R. Lowell on Nov. 28, 1935. He died Feb. 4, 1995, in Elkhart.

Surviving are daughter Patricia (Marshall) Blackburn of Elkhart; sons Bill and Gary (Tonda) Lowell of Bristol and Mike (Pat) Lowell of Elkhart; 10 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and brothers Ora and Richard Cunningham and Roger DeVore, all of Elkhart.

Thelma was preceded in death by her husband; daughters Shirley Minegar, Sharon Lowell and Barbara Marshall; son Daniel Lowell; and great-grandson Ryan Marshall.

Mrs. Lowell was a homemaker. She enjoyed her flower gardens, watching her favorite soap operas on TV and working on word and crossword puzzles. She loved to visit with her children and grandchildren and never wanted them to leave once they were there. Her favorite saying was, "It's a great life if you don't weaken."

A gathering of family and friends will be 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Billings Funeral Home, 812 Baldwin St., Elkhart. A graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Prairie Street Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, 111 Sunnybrook Court, South Bend, IN 46637. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.billingsfuneralhome.com.