Iva Deanne Fowler

Iva Dean Fowler was born on September 30, 1931, as the 7th of 8 to Joel ’Joe’ Hunter Fowler and Mary Elzaver ‘Elzie’ Reddin Fowler in Bradley County, Arkansas. She was known by her middle name which evolved into Deanne through various circumstances and it stuck. She lived at home until August of 1947 when she accepted the invitation made by her sister Mable (her second oldest sister) and husband Arthur Legget to finish her high-school education in Smackover. After finishing high school early, she went from being editor of the Smackover Journal to editing the A&M College newspaper as a freshman in Magnolia, where she lived until 1951. That year she left college to live with her sister Florine (her oldest sister) in Little Rock, where she picked up a few more college credits. She often said how she enjoyed getting to know Florine during those years.
On March 21, 1953, Deanne married Willis Day Calicott in Little Rock and temporarily moved to Tennessee for Willis’ Air Force training. This would mark the beginning of many travels outside of Arkansas and the United States. Deanne gave birth to Kay a little over 9 months after being married, while Willis was in Japan and she was in Little Rock. From there they moved to Ardmore Air Force Base in ’54, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia in ’55, back to Ardmore in ’55, and then to Norman Oklahoma, where she gave birth to Dana in 1958. In September of 1959, the Air Force moved the family to Evreux, France, where Deanne had Joel in 1961. Deanne often related as a fond memory the story of sisters Joan and Florine visiting her in France and then traveling around Europe for three weeks. From France, the family moved to Abilene, TX in ’62, Syracuse, NY in ’66, Jonesboro, AR in ’68, Kailua Hawaii in ’69, and finally Hampton, VA in ’73. While in Hawaii, Deanne graduated from the University of Hawaii and hosted many family visitors. She often told those who would listen how her dad fulfilled his goal of putting his feet in the Pacific Ocean (since in years previous he did the same in the Atlantic) and how while visiting the Pearl Harbor Memorial he recounted history as if he had been there.
In 1976, Deanne moved to Joplin, Missouri; Air Force life was now over as Willis retired. Early on while living in Joplin Deanne and Willis parted company and Joplin became her home for 28 years, the longest she ever lived anywhere. While there, she made many great friends, and during her time as secretary to the District Superintendent, she was able to represent the United Methodist Missouri Conference on two occasions traveling to India and Nepal in 1986 and to The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in 1990. In 1988, she went to Maine and walked 100 of the 1200 miles to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity.
In July of 1990, her brother, Judge Joe L. Fowler, gave her a certificate commissioning her as an official Arkansas Traveler signed by the then governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton. As more and more of her friends passed away or moved, in 2004, Deanne decided it was time to make one more move, to Wilmore, Kentucky, where her youngest child, Joel, and her grandchildren live. Not only has she lived in 10 states, but by accompanying Kay and Charlie to Alaska and taking two road trips, one with Dana and the other with her granddaughter Norma, the Arkansas Traveler was able to accomplish her goal of visiting every state in the union.
Deanne described herself as a “behind-the-scenes person.” She liked gardening, fruit trees, dogwoods, fishing, and her favorite color was blue. She was generous, thrifty, resourceful, and adventurous. She was friendly and loved to talk. Her love language was acts of service and she loved serving her children.
She is survived by her son, Joel Arthur Calicott (Genevieve “Geny”), of Wilmore, KY; daughter, Kay Deanne Calicott (Charlie Albrecht), of Clearwater, FL; brother, Bobby Dale Fowler, of Crowley, TX; sister, Joan Lee Fowler Griffin, of Pine Bluff, AR; and six grandchildren, Josiah, Norma, Benjamin, Samuel, Efraim, and Lidia Calicott, all of Wilmore, KY. She is preceded by her husband, Willis Day Calicott, and a daughter, Dana Carol Calicott. The family will host a memorial gathering on Thanksgiving, where they will lay her to rest at Williams Cemetery, in Banks, Arkansas.
Betts & West is honored to serve Deanne and her family in their time of need. An online guestbook is available at www.BettsAndWestFuneralHome.com