CATHY ROBERTA HILGEMANN
Catherine Roberta Hilgemann was born on August 18, 1940, at 9:42 PM in Seattle, Washington, to Harold and Sarah Hilgemann. She graduated from Lincoln High School in Seattle, Washington, in 1958. She attended Metropolitan Business College and graduated in 1959. She got a job with Boeing doing office work where she met her lifelong best friend, Evy Dalton there. They stayed friends until Evy passed. While she worked there, she met Gary Jon Rowell, who was stationed at Naselle, Air Force Base. They married on May 4, 1964. They moved to Cypress, Ca, in 1967. They proceeded to have Gary Jr. in 1968, Diana Lynn in 1970, and William Dean in 1971. They raised their family there until they moved to Tulare, Ca in the summer of 1997/8.
They maintained an active role in their granddaughters’ lives, Sierra, born in 199,6 and Kelly 1999. They ran a business called Runovent together. They were very active in their church and community even after officially retiring. The lost Gary in January of 2023. She continued to remain active and social until her peaceful passing on February 11th, 2026.
Cathy’s Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, February 21st, 2026, at 10 AM at Tulare First Baptist Church. Lunch will follow.