David Eldon McDowell, age 74, of rural Osawatomie, Kansas, died Friday, October 17, 2008, at the Life Care Center in Osawatomie.

He was born August 18, 1934 at Osawatomie, Kansas. He was the oldest of five children born to David Harrison and Hazel Marie (Troutman) McDowell.

He graduated from Osawatomie High School in the Class of 1952.

He was married in Kansas City, Kansas on September 22, 1953 to Sue Ann Sutton. They resided in Lane, Kansas for a short time before moving to Osawatomie in 1955. They were the parents of five children. They were divorced in 1974.

Eldon was a brakeman and conductor for the Missouri Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. After 29 years of service, he retired in August of 1999.

He grew up in the Baptist Church. He was in the U. S. Army Reserve. He was a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge #921 of Osawatomie and also a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by three sons Stephen McDowell and his wife Betty of Spring Hill, Kansas, Alan McDowell and his wife Rita of Parker, Kansas, and Ronnie McDowell and his wife Theresa of Nashville, Tennessee; two daughters Misty Kitchen and her husband Randy of Osawatomie and Starla Hughes and her husband Michael of Chicago, Illinois; one brother Dean McDowell of Osawatomie; three sisters Carolyn Francis of Harlingen, Texas, Vera Waller of Overbrook, Kansas, and Donna Edgecomb of Williamsburg, Kansas; 16 grandchildren; many great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 21, 2008 at Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home in Osawatomie. Burial will be in the Osawatomie Cemetery with military honors. Pallbearers will be Mary Ann Peterson, Monika Troutman, John Diediker, Jim Osborne, Darrell Ashmore, Randy Kitchen, and Michael Hughes. Memorials are to the St. Jude's Children's Hospital.