Obituary of Vera M. Sowman

Vera M. Sowman, age 98, of Jefferson passed away on Thursday, January 27, 2022, at AGrace Hospice in Fitchburg.  She was born on February 16, 1923, in St. Louis, Missouri to Max and Hilda (Denzl) Zimmermann.  She married Thomas Sowman on September 26, 1990. He preceded her in death on July 1, 2011.

Vera was employed at Benchcraft Inc. in St. Louis where she met her husband, Tom.  Following her retirement from Benchcraft, she and Tom lived a peaceful life in Osage Beach, Missouri in a beautiful condo overlooking the Lake of the Ozarks.  Vera was a kind and gentle spirit. She loved reading James Patterson novels and doing crossword puzzles and word searches.  She loved children, and her best memories were those she had spending time with her grandson, Victor, when he was a young boy.

Vera is survived by her stepdaughter Christine (Robert Turner) Michalek of Elkhorn; grandson Victor (Sarah) Essen II of St. Louis, Missouri; three step-grandchildren Christopher (Michelle) Michalek, Matthew (Samera) Michalek, and Morgan (James) Deng; seven great grandchildren; nieces and nephews Gary (Jane) Kemper, Christy (Michael) Eckert, Lynn Karlsgaard, Kent (Dottie) Kreh, and Ronnie (Roger) Alewel; and many great nieces and great nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Thomas Sowman, daughter Barbara Essen (Ward), her twin brother in infancy, siblings Thekla (Walter) Young, Max (“Toots”) Zimmermann, Louise (Geroge) Bengard, Herman (Janette) Zimmermann, and Helen (Louis) Kemper. 

Vera will be laid to rest next to her husband in Lake of the Ozarks cemetery in Missouri.

The family extends a special thank you to the staff at Sunset Ridge in Jefferson and the AGrace Hospice staff in Fitchburg for the wonderful care they gave Vera.