Sarah Ann Holsclaw

Sarah Ann Rowe was born Flavia Hazel Rowe on December 9, 1937 in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado and passed away June 6, 2023 at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa after a short illness.

Sarah was the fifth of six children. Growing up her family moved around numerous times throughout her childhood.  In 1955 while living in Rock Falls, Illinois; she legally changed her name to Sarah Ann Rowe.  Rock Falls is also where she met her 1st husband, Carvel Delene Nance.  They were married on December 31, 1955 and later moved to Rockford, Illinois.   Between October of 1956 and January of 1965 she gave birth to five healthy sons.  While raising her boys she also did daycare and enjoyed playing cards with friends and family.

Carvel and Sarah divorced in 1974 and Sarah once again began her travels moving her three youngest sons around to multiple places. She first moved to Dothan, Alabama where she worked at a factory that riveted airplanes for about one year.

She then moved to Independence, Missouri where she met Gene (Marvin) Cox.  They were married on July 4, 1975 and moved to Iliff, Colorado where they lived on a Sugar Beet Farm with the boys.  She gave birth to her sixth son, Stephen Duane Cox in 1975.  Later Sarah worked at Colorado Beef meat packing plant.  After several more moves they moved to McFall, Missouri where at about 20 months old her son Stephen died in 1976.  Sarah and Gene divorced shortly after in January of 1977.

Sarah then traveled with her three youngest sons and settled in Jefferson, Iowa in 1977.  Here she remained for nearly 40 years.  Sarah worked as a waitress in a truck stop in Jefferson when she met Lynn Holsclaw.  They were married on November 1, 1985.  Sarah was able to take a rest from the hard work and sacrifices she made to keep her boys together over the years.  She became a homemaker and assisted Lynn with detailing vehicles for Lynn's Used Auto Sales.  The only travelling she did over the next 30 years was for vacations, visiting family, and travelling in their RV. They had a long marriage of 30 years before Lynn passed away on February 17, 2016.

After Lynn's death, Sarah again found herself on the move.  Three of her sons, David, Russel, and Randy were blessed to bring her into their homes to live with them for a total period of about 4 years.  In doing so, they were able to spend more quality time with their mother and get to know her better.  She loved and cared for each of her sons equally.  Due to increased memory issues, she eventually settled into the Granger Nursing & Rehab Center in Granger, Iowa.

Sarah loved listening to her classic country music and dancing in her younger years.  Lynn and Gene both played guitar, which she enjoyed greatly.  She also enjoyed reading, watching her soap operas, and going to garage sales.  Sarah had a wonderful sense of humor and wit.

Sarah was a very good listener and would help in any way that she could.  She loved to write letters and maintained contact with all of her family as well as some friends of over 50 years.  She loved all of her siblings, nieces, and nephews very much and stayed in touch with all of them as much as possible.  You will be missed dearly mom, by all who knew and loved you!

Sarah was preceded in death by:  parents Flavious Josephus & Neva Bethel Rowe; sons Kevin Delene Nance and Stephen Duane Cox; grandson Jeremiah Eugene Nance; husbands:  Carvel Delene Nance, and Lynn Owen Holsclaw;  siblings: Bethel Viola (Rowe) Hohn, Flavious Arthur Rowe, Phillip Cyrus Rowe, and Everett Harry Rowe.

Surviving are:  One Sister, Carolyn (Jim) Christensen of Missouri; Four Sons:  David (Terry) Nance of Granbury, TX; Russel (Vicki) Nance of Woodward, IA; Randy (Lisa) Nance of Riverside, IA; and Scott Nance (location unknown);  Six Grandchildren:  Stephen Delene Nance of Magnolia, TX; Amy Christine (Nance) Gonzales of Houston, TX; Sarah Jean Nance of San Diego, CA; Douglas (Beth) Nance of Perry, IA; Danielle (Eric) Friesen of Saskatchewan, Canada; and Trista (Cody Finzel) Nance of Dubuque, IA;  and Eleven Great Grandchildren: Michelle, Marcos, Michael, and Edgar of Houston, TX; Jade (Justice Williams), Cloe, Emma, and Abby of Perry, IA; Emma Hazel and Katherine Rose of Saskatchewan, Canada; and Kida Eileen of Dubuque, IA.

Sarah's wishes were for her ashes to be buried with her husband of 30 years, Lynn Holsclaw, in the Jefferson City Cemetery in Jefferson, Iowa.  The family will honor this wish and hold a short private graveside gathering.

The family would like to thank Alex from Simplify Cremations & Funerals for the assistance with all of mom's arrangements.