Darrell McGowan

Darrell was born October 11, 1935 in a simple frame house outside of Timpson Texas.  The family, dad Youree, mom Bertha, older sister Reba, older sister Maxie and older sister Wanda had moved to the little house when the family lost a farm during the depression.  The younger brother, Dean, was born after moving into that house.

Sister Wanda and Darrell were afflicted with a rampant high fever during a disease epidemic in 1937.  They were both left severely mentally challenged.  When the family realized that caring for Wanda and Darrell was impossible, they were placed in a home for the mentally retarded in Austin in 1944.   Later, they were moved to San Augustine, then to Nacogdoches and then to Kilgore to be near to sister Reba. 

Darrell was transferred to Overton Health in Overton Texas when it was determined that his needs were different than those of Wanda.  Wanda died in 2016.

Darrell was very happy at Overton and had several good years at that facility.  He had a signature answer to any question to which he was answering with a yes.  That answer was “yep, yep!”  Even in his last days of serious illness, he would answer the nurses with “yep, yep” when they were asking if he was hearing their questions.  Darrell had a positive manner about him and he was loved all his life.

Survivors are sisters Reba and Maxie and brother Dean.