Luella Dow left her mark in the Cheney Free Press for decades before passing on July 15, writing the "Of Cabbages and Kings" column every week. She was involved in the community, always wanting to find out the deeper stories of the citizens of Cheney and Medical Lake area. She was known to find stories about people that others may have overlooked.
The meaning of Cabbages and Kings come from the narrative poem by Lewis Carroll, appearing in his book "Through the Looking Glass" in Dec. 1871. It means to talk about everything and anything, which is what Dow did in her writing.
Dow was born on Dec. 12, 1931. She attended Williams Valley School, Deer Park High School and Whitworth University. She married Wallace Dow in Sept. of 1957. They eventually moved south of Cheney, living on a farm with four children.
She is survived by three children, Teresa, Carolyn and Wayne; seven grandchildren, Mark, Matt, Amy, Kristen, Allison, McKindsay and Maya; four great-grandchildren, Sierra, Emeline, Jack and Savannah. She was preceded in death by her parents, Grace and Dale; her sister, Lorraine; her husband, Wally and son, Nelson.
Dow was one of the few dedicated contributors to the Cheney Free Press over the years, always having new people to write about and stories to share.
She was also known for writing letters to editors, plays, novels and politics.
Dow was an author to four books as well. She wrote, "Bird in Hand," "Of Cabbages and Kings," "Juba's Cup" and "Rock a My Soul."
Her last article in the Cheney Free Press was published in the fall of 2015.
Grace Pohl can be reached at [email protected].
Remembering Luella
"During my eight years at the Free Press we had citizen contributors come and go, most not able to sustain a column for even a year. When I think back to Luella marching in with her Cabbages and Kings column every week for the entirety of my time in Cheney, I recognize how impressive it was that one person could be so interested in their community that they could find something to contribute about it for every one of the over 400 issues of the Free Press that I helped put out. That it began well before I came along and continued long after I left, makes it even more impressive to me."
Dave Rey, former Cheney Free Press editor
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"Luella Dow had her own, unique style. It had a very simple, straightforward hometown feel to it. A hallmark of her writing was her closings, which always wished the person or group well in their endeavors, and that 'we' will be watching and waiting to hear more of their adventures in life. That 'we' was always understood as in the collective form, as in 'we the readers' without saying such. It was a way of letting all of us speak to her column subjects."
John McCallum, current Cheney Free Press editor
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"I admired Luella Dow's involvement in life, she wasn't afraid to express her opinion on local or political issues. She was a long time piano player who played for her church on many occasions. Over the years, she played for my oldest son's wedding and my mom's memorial service.
In visiting with her at the Cheney Care Center, I let her know how much she was loved and appreciated by me. I will miss her tremendously, but knowing that she is probably playing piano for Jesus helps. She is at home and at peace."
Judy Bridges of Cheney
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