Steve Alen Sowell

Steve Sowell was born July 16th 1952 to Dale and Faye Sowell in Pendleton Oregon. They moved to Hermiston in 1964 where he resided the majority of his life. Steve was one of seven kids. Even as a kid he made his siblings laugh. You could find him in the garage right beside his dad working on cars and laughing. He came from a family of cooks and was always eager for a family get together to enjoy a good meal and story. Steve was always the first to help with any project around the house with any of his family and friends. Steve was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and steadfast in his faith. In 1980 he married Maria Bromell. Steve and Maria were best friends and enjoyed many adventures together. They loved to buy and sell cars, owning over 200, garden, ride motorcycles, travel to the coast, camp, spend time with their kids, grandkids and great grandkids and go out in service. They raised a family together, in which Steve was very proud of. Steve followed in his dad’s footsteps being the family rock, always being the first person his kids and grandkids called for advice. He always had time for his family. Steve loved to go to the mountains and looked forward to camping trips with friends and family. Steve worked for Umatilla County Housing Authority for 40 years, where he made some lifelong friends. Steve always had a joke and had the most contagious laugh. He enjoyed going to yard sales and antique shopping with his daughter Sarah, they covered 4 states looking for antiques, sharing many stories and laughs. He also loved gardening and canning with her, and just having Sunday dinner with the family. Steve also enjoyed working on cars with his son Jesse. Steve was always up to work on any car and teach Jesse his skill. Steve loved hanging out with Wesley and sharing laughs. Wesley, having the goofy sense of humor that matched Steve’s was priceless to him. Steve was a skilled mechanic, carpenter, painter, plumber, gardener, landscaper, and bargainer. He liked to joke that he was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. Steve’s friends always joked that he could sell ice to an Eskimo in the wintertime. He was always willing to teach his kids and grandkids his trades. Steve is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Maria Sowell, Daughter Sarah (Sowell) Scanlon, grandkids Skylar, wife Ashlie, great grandkids Ava, Austin, and Alani, grandson Zachary, granddaughter Andrea and great granddaughter Willow, grandson Taylor and granddaughter Allison, son Jesse Sowell, wife Denise and granddaughter Hailey, son Wesley Sowell. 2 brothers and 2 sisters and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his Parents, Dale and Faye Sowell, brothers Gary Dyer, Mike Sowell, and nephews Ezra Nelson and Shawn Dyer. Service will be held at 1pm, September 24th at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hermiston, dinner to follow at daughter Sarah Scanlon’s house.