James Rowan Sr.

On Sunday, October 9, 2022 at approximately 4:29pm surrounded by his loving family, God our Lord and Savior sent his Heavenly Angels to St. Vincent ICU Unit 2623 to escort James Rowan, Sr. to board the “Glory Train” to Heaven.

James Rowan, Sr. was born on November 14, 1953 in Bolivar County, Mississippi to Jim Rowan and Jani Campbell Rowan. Only weighing 1 lb and introduced to this world in the cotton fields of Mississippi, he proved to be a fighter to live at an early age.

James migrated to Indiana from Mississippi with his mother which became kind of scary because he grabbed the wrong woman’s coat tail and ended up on the wrong Greyhound bus, but he finally got to Indiana. Once he arrived in Gary he was enrolled at Banneker Elementary school, Tolleston Middle School and West Side High School.  After completing his education, he was hired with the United States Steel Mill (USX). After medical concerns, he retired with 39 years of service.

James accepted Jesus into his heart at an early age, but rededicated his life on the belief that Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior in 1981 at Christ Baptist Church of Gary, Indiana under the leadership of Dr. Rev Colvin Blanford, Emeritus and Pastor Lawrence E. Robertson.  In 2019, when health became a concern James and Charlotte relocated to Cumberland, Indiana to be closer to their daughter, Angela and grandchildren and joined New Beginnings Fellowship Church under the leadership of Pastor James Anthony Jackson.

James met the love of his life, Charlotte Ann in 1980 at USX and told many that “she is going to be my wife” and it came to light in 1982.  The union brought two families together, one daughter, Angela and one son, James Jr. Through the years, medical issues became challenging, but James always put his conditions in the hands of the Lord. The Blood of Jesus covered him and after years of procedures, surgeries, injections, amputation, Hwy 65 heart attack and cancer, God said his room was ready and it is time to come home.

James is preceded in death by his loving parents, Jim and Jani Rowan; sisters, Lula Pratt and Bertha Mae Campbell; brothers, John Lee Smith and Jimmy Rowan; mother and father-In-law, Harold and Ethelyn Jones; sisters-in-law, Karen Ingram and Rebecca Jones; brothers-in-law: Harold L. Jones, Jr, Roland Jones, Jr, Kevin L. Jones and Ivan J. Jones; and son-in-law, Robert L. Beatty, Jr.

James is survived by his wife and soulmate, Charlotte Ann Rowan; daughter, Angela Beatty; son, James Rowan, Jr; grandsons, Robert L. Beatty, III and Aundre’ Beatty; granddaughter, Bri’Onna Beatty; great-grandchildren: Justice, Jasmine and Julius; sisters-in-law, Arnita Jones and Cynthia Smith (Tommy); nieces: Alisa McQuay, Yolonda Smith, Robin Tiller-White and Kaira Cannon; nephews: Calvin Tiller, Royce Tiller and Milton Manning; and a host of Northwestern & Southern Indiana family and friends; and a Special “Girl Friend” Faye Tinsley.