Marta Cowan

(From Parker Mortuary)

Marta Lou Cowan, age 68, Joplin, passed away on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at Mercy of Joplin after a sudden illness.

Marta was born January 24, 1957 in Trenton, New Jersey, daughter of the late Aarre Anselm Maenpaa and Helen Alice (Stevenson) Maenpaa. She grew up in New Jersey, California, and graduated from Vanguard High School in Ocala, Florida. She then attended Central Florida Community College. 

She moved to Colorado in 1979 where she worked as a cook with many places including the PEO Chapter House in Colorado Springs. She moved to the Joplin area in 1999 and continued working as a cook for Lumpy’s Bar-B-Que, and most recently Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza. She was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Chapter 49 in St Maries. She loved to cook, and was known as a very good cook, especially by her family whom she loved very much. She will be greatly missed by her family, and many friends.

In addition to her parents, Marta was preceded in death by her husband, Larry W. Cowan who passed in 2001, and a brother-in-law, Mel Battin.

Survivors include her sons, Nicholas Aarre Maenpaa of Colorado Springs, CO, and Kenneth Ryan Cowan of Joplin; granddaughter, Alliondra Guthery of Colorado Springs, CO; sisters, Karen Gilliam and husband Doug of Woodland Park, CO, Ann Battin also of Woodland Park; and a brother, Gus Maenpaa and wife Marge of Colorado Springs, CO.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary with burial of her ashes next to her husband in Colorado at a later date.