Cowen Family
Donation protected
Last year, a local family lost their beloved husband and father. While no amount of money can heal their hearts, we hope that through this fundraiser, we can help the family as they navigate through this difficult time.
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Kurt B Cowen
2/29/68-2/15/18
He was a very loving father, husband, son and friend. He always went out of his way to help people and joining the Army National Guard seemed perfect for him. He was deployed to OSO after the landslide and also served in Iraq. He is deeply missed by his children and family.
Kurt committed suicide and suffered from PTSD. His demeanor and attitude changed completely after his deployment to Iraq in 2016/17. He became angry, unable to sleep and could not get the cohesive family unit back to normal. He was a journeyman sprinkler fitter for 20 years and when the economy slowed down, he was laid off. His brother who was a retired Army MP had just joined the Guard and talked him into joining also. He joined the National Guard in 2010 and after initial training was complete the Cowens decided to move back home to Lynden from Marysville to raise their 4 boys, and soon after he was hired at Intalco.
What has the impact been from this suicide?
The family is still wrecked from this decision. Insurance from the military stopped, and counseling became unavailable unless payed for out of pocket. Credit Card dept has been maxed out and they risk losing their apartment because rent is too high for them to make it. The widow is a cancer survivor, suffering currently with MS and cannot work from the medical conditions. On top of this, she takes care of her autistic son. They feel trapped and alone and this fundraiser is going to show them that they are not, and that their community cares for them.
The idea of this fundraiser is to give them the ability to pay for counseling and healing that they need. It is to provide them a buffer for a year while they find a permanent solution for their housing situation. It will provide necessary car maintenance repairs and provision to promote the Cowen family prosperity, not demise.
Thank you for your support!
In addition to this fundraiser, we hope you can join in a 5k, put on by the Spartyka Race Team to honor the life of Kurt B Cowen.
The 5k will begin at Lynden City Hall, September 28th at 8am. You can register at:
www.spartyka.com
.
.
.
Kurt B Cowen
2/29/68-2/15/18
He was a very loving father, husband, son and friend. He always went out of his way to help people and joining the Army National Guard seemed perfect for him. He was deployed to OSO after the landslide and also served in Iraq. He is deeply missed by his children and family.
Kurt committed suicide and suffered from PTSD. His demeanor and attitude changed completely after his deployment to Iraq in 2016/17. He became angry, unable to sleep and could not get the cohesive family unit back to normal. He was a journeyman sprinkler fitter for 20 years and when the economy slowed down, he was laid off. His brother who was a retired Army MP had just joined the Guard and talked him into joining also. He joined the National Guard in 2010 and after initial training was complete the Cowens decided to move back home to Lynden from Marysville to raise their 4 boys, and soon after he was hired at Intalco.
What has the impact been from this suicide?
The family is still wrecked from this decision. Insurance from the military stopped, and counseling became unavailable unless payed for out of pocket. Credit Card dept has been maxed out and they risk losing their apartment because rent is too high for them to make it. The widow is a cancer survivor, suffering currently with MS and cannot work from the medical conditions. On top of this, she takes care of her autistic son. They feel trapped and alone and this fundraiser is going to show them that they are not, and that their community cares for them.
The idea of this fundraiser is to give them the ability to pay for counseling and healing that they need. It is to provide them a buffer for a year while they find a permanent solution for their housing situation. It will provide necessary car maintenance repairs and provision to promote the Cowen family prosperity, not demise.
Thank you for your support!
In addition to this fundraiser, we hope you can join in a 5k, put on by the Spartyka Race Team to honor the life of Kurt B Cowen.
The 5k will begin at Lynden City Hall, September 28th at 8am. You can register at:
www.spartyka.com
Organizer and beneficiary
Sara Koetje
Organizer
Lynden, WA
Renee Cowen
Beneficiary