Ronald A Gower

Mankato Mortuary
1001 N. Riverfront Dr.
Mankato, MN 56001
(507) 388-2202

On the night of November 14, Dr. Ronald Allan Gower passed away at his home on Lake Washington after a long battle with cancer. His son Hugh was able to be with him at his passing. He was 78 years old. He was preceded in death by his wife Anne in 2012 and is survived by his sons Owen and Hugh, Hugh's partner Angie Alberda, and grandsons Cade and Quinn.

Ron was born in St. Paul, MN on March 12, 1935. He was the only child of Allan and Lucille Gower. He spent his childhood in South St. Paul and graduated from South St. Paul High School in 1953. He graduated from Hamline University in 1957, where he was President of Phi Delta fraternity, Editor of the literary magazine The Piper, member of the tennis team, and president of the ski club. He was drafted into the US Army in 1958"1960, and was an Army Reservist until 1966, when he retired at the rank of Captain.

Due to a fortunate skiing accident, where his Army training was delayed 6 months, during which time he met the love of his life, best friend, and lifetime companion, Anne M. Hocking, from Ironwood, Michigan, who was attending the University of Minnesota when they met. They were married in Ironwood on June 14, 1959. They would remain inseparable until her unexpected passing on May 2, 2012.

Upon leaving active duty in the Army Ron attended Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University, Mankato), receiving his Bachelors in 1962, then his Masters in 1963. Their first son Owen was born in 1966, followed by Hugh in 1968. In 1968 they packed up their young children and moved halfway across the country, where Ron attended the University of New Mexico, where he received his PhD in 1970. Their two years in the southwest would forever have an impact on them, and they would return many times over the years to that area of the country.

Ron became a Professor of English at Mankato State University, and would remain there from 1965 until he retired in 1997. During that time he was also Chair of the English department for five years, as well as Director of the Honors Program. He was also editor of Oxygen poetry magazine, and The Corresponder, a Minnesota literary magazine. He received outstanding faculty awards from 1973"-1987. He was a member of the President's Commission on Strategic Planning in 1989, a member of Phi Kappa Phi, and on the MCTE"Nominating Committee.

In 1976 the family moved to a hobby farm in Good Thunder where they spent the next 35 years. During those years Ron honed his skills as a carpenter, doubling the size of the small farm house in their first year there, then spending many years upgrading and improving everything on the farm. The family was very self"sufficient, with Anne raising large gardens, and the entire family participating in beekeeping, syrup making, poultry raising, and other husbandry, as well as many years spent gathering wood used to heat the house in the winter. Ron would often come home from teaching, and immediately set to work on some project or another, seldom bothering to change from his good working attire. This especially drove Anne crazy when he would do things like change oil in the cars, crawling under the cars and getting dirt on oil on his good slacks. There is no doubt a student or two could see an oil stain or two on his pants while he was teaching.

Ron was a prolific writer, focusing mostly on poetry. Over the years he wrote thousands of poems, although his teaching duties, to which he was supremely devoted, prevented him from focusing on his publishing pursuits. Despite this, he was published many times in various poetry magazines and books, as well has having many academic articles published over the years. He also published many free"lance fiction and non"fiction stories in various magazines and publications. He also was a feature article writer for the Mankato Free Press newspaper. In 2010 Ron published his first book of poetry, On the Farm, followed up the chapbook Keeping Bees in 2011. He also published a series of essays called Fish Tales in 2011.

Ron spent the last years of his life enjoying spending times with his grandchildren, fishing, playing cribbage, and just enjoying their company. He also spent a lot of time in his workshop building wooden toys, from cars to planes to trains, many of which he gave to his grandchildren, but also gave to friends as well to give to their children.

After Anne's passing, Ron moved out to the Madison Lake area, renovating a house on Lake Washington and spent his days fishing, visiting with friends, and reading and writing.

In 2013, just months before his passing, Ron published his final book of poems, Single Men in Barracks. Ron had a great love of the outdoors " fishing, hunting and camping played a central role in his life. Fly fishing for trout was a great passion, as well as bow hunting whitetails and hunting pheasant. Ron and Anne traveled and camped all over the West and Southwest, as well as trips through Canada, Alaska and Europe. They spent much time later in life at Padre Island in Texas and Zihautanejo, Mexico. Much of his writing that he published late in life was inspired and informed by these outdoor pursuits and travel experiences.

Although Ron was generally a quiet and private person, he will be remembered for his kind and gentle nature, his love of family, and as a passionate teacher and writer. He will be greatly missed by his family and large number of friends.

A memorial service for Ron will be held at Mankato Mortuary, 1001 N. Riverfront Dr., Mankato, on Saturday, December 7 at 12:00 PM. Following this will be an informal gathering for friends and family to remember Ron at his home on Lake Washington.

Memorial gifts can be sent to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org or the American Heart Association at http://goo.gl/gMs2DF.