M. Pauline Cowan, 83, of Middlesex Township died Tuesday at Greenwood Manor Nursing Home, Butler.

Born April 10, 1921, in Henderson Township, near Desire, Jefferson County, she was the daughter of Robert and Mabel Sprague Hughes.

She was an alumna of Reynoldsville High School and the DuBois Business School.

At the age of 10, she was installed as the youngest six-degree member of the Royal Grange in the United States. In 1963, the Butler Eagle highlighted her as being the first woman to serve as master of the Royal Grange when the organization took first place out of 5,144 contestants in the National Community Service Program. She used the proceeds of the contest to establish the Grange Scholarship Fund at Mars High School. She also was the treasurer of the Royal Grange for more than 30 years. She helped establish a 4-H club, where she taught sewing.

She also belonged to the Southern Butler County Women's Club and was a substitute bus driver for several years. She was her husband's "Honey Lady" because of their hobby and passion of extracting hundreds of pounds of honey each year.

In addition to all of her involvement, selling and advocating vitamins was yet another cause in her life. And most importantly to her, she was a devoted and active member of the Mars Alliance Church.

Married on June 21, 1940, she was the beloved wife for 64 years of Elmer L. Cowan. She was the loving mother of Twila M. Smith and her husband, Ronald M., of Panama City Beach, Fla., Arlene Pate and her husband, George, of Little River, S.C., and Arden R. Cowan of Stevensville, Mont.; and sister of Theodore Hughes of Reynoldsville, Jefferson County. Also surviving are seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

A baby son, three sisters and four brothers preceded her in death.

COWAN - Friends of M. Pauline Cowan, who died Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2004, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at SCHELLHAAS FUNERAL HOME, 5864 Heckert Road, Bakerstown. Services time will be announced in Friday's newspaper.Memorial contributions may be made to Mars Alliance Church, 997 Route 228, Mars, PA 16046; or the Alzheimer's Association, One Station Square Drive, The Landmarks Building, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.Please pay tribute at www.schellhaasfh.com.