Sonya Cowen celebrates 80th birthday

Special to Wesson News

Sonya Cowens (center) with Librarian Marilyn Britt (left) and District 92 Mississippi House of Representative Becky Currie.

Life-long Wesson resident Sonya Cowen celebrated her 80th birthday last month with friends at Wesson Baptist Church.

Friends organized Cowen’s birthday and celebrated it with her.

Among the folk on hand who organized the party and celebrated with Cowen were Barbara Locke, Janice Puckett, Carolyn Frazier, June Owens, Sharon Langley, Janet Currie, Cherry Head, Marilyn Britt, Diane McIntyre, Ann Williams, Joy Philips, Dr. Steve Liverman, Peggy Newman, Mary Ann Jasper, Lee Ann Knight, Sharon Speights and Rhonda Ishee.

In all, some 150 persons attended and shared slices of birthday cakes baked by Wendy Harrell. 

Mississippi House of Representatives proclamation honored Sonya Cowen for life’s work and achievements.

Mississippi District 92 House of Representative Becky Currie presented Cowen a special birthday proclamation passed by the full House that recognized her life’s work and achievements

Cowen is a 1963 graduate of Co-Lin High School and a 1965 graduate of the college. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in education and library science from Mississippi College and completed additional study at Mississippi College and The University of Southern Mississippi. 

She established the first library at Wesson Elementary School and worked there as a teacher and elementary and high school librarian for 30 years. She worked as an assistant librarian in the Evelyn W. Oswalt Library.

Servers at Cowen’s birthday.

Cowen is a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, which selected her as a Woman of Distinction in 1990, and also is a member of the Co-Lin alumni association and the Band and its Colette Alumni Chapter, the Wesson Garden Club, the 50+ Club, the Old Wesson School Community Center Committee and Wesson Baptist Church, where she has taught Sunday School.

She was Co-Lin Alumna of the Year in 2010, Wesson Elementary Teacher of the Year, Wesson High School Teacher of the Year and honored by Wesson Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year as Wesson’s Ageless Hero.  She was married to the late Hollis J. Cowen Jr., and they had two children, Hollis J. Cowen III (Trey) of Wesson and Katrina Smith and husband, Lane, of Flagstaff, Arizona.