David Lewis Marchant

David Lewis Marchant

June 17, 1929 – Oct. 19, 2020

David Lewis Marchant, 91, of Cowley passed away Oct.19, 2020, from complications of COVID-19. He was born June 17, 1929, to Charles Wright Marchant and Eva Leone Lewis Marchant in Cowley and later married his high school sweetheart, Leta Eyre, on her birthday on Feb. 25, 1949. Their union lasted for 71 years.

David was the third son of five boys who were all born after his four older sisters. He was born two months premature and weighed 5 pounds. His mother used to say that he was born early so his father could see him before he left for summer school for teacher training at the University of Wyoming. They kept him alive by warming him by the oven. He never had any ill effects from the ordeal and grew up healthy and very strong. 

David started school in the first grade in Cowley and finished all grades in the Cowley school system. David was very talented and had many hobbies. He was a great singer with a beautiful bass voice that enabled him to perform in many church programs, city programs, weddings, funerals and an operetta. He also played the harmonica, painted many pictures, loved to make clocks, do leather work and write poetry and was a very avid reader. 

He enjoyed riding his bike for fun and exercise, and he once peddled to Bridger just to see if he could. He also loved to hike, hunt and fish. When David was young, he liked to explore and build tree houses and hideouts. He was a gardener, which was probably his favorite hobby, and raised everything imaginable from Jerusalem artichokes to peanuts.

He could be seen hoeing and watering every day and then picking and giving it to Leta to can and freeze. She put a stop to that when she was about 85. His garden was huge, and he liked sharing his bounty with the townspeople.

He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was a bishop, stake missionary, patriarch and a sealer at the Billings, Montana temple, among other callings. He was service oriented and cared deeply for his family, friends and neighbors. 

David was a brick mason for many years and was a perfectionist in his craft. When he got so that his hands could not lay brick any longer, he became the postmaster at Cowley and enjoyed his association with the people who came in to visit. He was postmaster until he retired.

David leaves behind his wife, Leta; five of his six children: Jon (Linda) Marchant, Joan (Wayne) Ostler, Margaret (Jim) Hardie, Greg (Lynn) Marchant and Ned (Kate) Marchant; 24 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren; sister Roma; brothers Kenneth and Richard; and daughter-in-law Debi Marchant. 

Preceding him in death were his son, Rick, and his granddaughter, Milisa Marchant. 

Funeral services were held on Friday, Oct. 23, at the Cowley LDS Chapel. Burial was in the Cowley Cemetery.