Lowell Patrick Underwood

On Saint Patrick’s Day 1933 in Humboldt, Kansas, Lowell Patrick Underwood was born to Ruby (Gaddis) and Lowell Jerome Underwood, a young couple. The trio moved to California for a few years and Ruby bore a second son, Ronald Jerome, before returning to Kansas where Lowell Sr. began working as a minister. They moved from small Kansas town to small Kansas town and Lowell Jr. made impactful childhood memories with his brother and cousins. In August 1939, Lowell’s brother Ronny died of “summer complaint,” casting a shadow of grief around their young family.

As Lowell Jr. was growing up, he developed a love of reading, particularly adventure books. By the time he was in 7th grade, Lowell Sr. was pastoring the Assembly of God church in Russell, Kansas and Lowell Jr. attended Russell Public Schools through his sophomore year before enrolling at Southwestern High School in Waxahachie, TX to finish his high school education. After he graduated, he and his roommate, Pete Minter, moved to Springfield, MO to attend Central Bible Institute. On a September weekend, they drove back to Waxahachie to see the Pete’s girlfriend and Lowell met Velma Myers. Lowell and Velma began a romance that would endure throughout their lives. They wed in 1952 in Tribune, KS with Lowell Sr. officiating, returned to Springfield for Lowell Jr. to continue at the Bible Institute and he and Velma had two children, Ronald Dean and Randal Paul. Lowell worked as a salesman for a distributing company, but because he failed to update his martial and dependent status with the US Government, was drafted into the US Army in 1955. After training, he was stationed in Friedberg, Germany and Velma and the boys tagged along.

In 1957, the young family returned to Kansas, and Lowell had ruled out becoming a pastor, working as a salesman, or staying in the army. He spent time working on Velma’s family farm in Tribune and the couple had a third child, Lowell Richard (Rick). In 1959, the family moved to Tulsa, OK and Lowell earned a degree in English and Secondary Education and in 1961, returned to Russell to teach English at Russell High School. Velma and Lowell made Russell their home for the rest of their lives. They made great friendships with the other high school teachers, were active church-goers, Velma worked in administrative positions, Lowell coached and sponsored school activities, the three sons all graduated from Russell High School, and the family navigated the ups and downs of life together.

Lowell retired from teaching in 1993 and had a heart attack the following Spring. As part of his recovery, he and Velma grew determined to travel and live life to the fullest. He dedicated himself to his painting, often visited Velma’s sister and husband Scott in Alaska, explored his heritage – especially the indigenous part, and spending time with his sons, their spouses, and four grandchildren. While his third act was filled with joy, adventure, and art, it was troubled with tragedy. His middle son, Randy, died in a car accident in 1994, his eldest son, Ron, died of cancer in 2010, and Velma spent the final decade of her life suffering from dementia. Through all of this, Lowell remained steady, open, creative, present, connected, and full of life. He was showing his art and painting through his 90th birthday, after a stroke moved him to Wheatland, he taught painting classes and made friends with all of the staff and residents, and remained devout to his faith and family through his final days, where in the final seconds of Saint Patrick’s Day 2026, he took his final breath.

Lowell is preceded in death by his parents, brother, wife, and sons Ronald and Randal. He is survived by his son Rick, daughters in-law Sherri Underwood, Nancy Schmitt, and Tammy Witte, his grandchildren Tisha Rein, Kelcie Underwood (Mackenzie Langlois), Alex Underwood, and Seth Underwood,three great-grandchildren, and many relatives and friends.

Lowell’s funeral will be at Otterbein Methodist Church at 11am on Wednesday, March 25th and the family will be present at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary from 6-7pm on Tuesday, March 24th. Memorials have been established at the Russell Senior Center and the Deines Cultural Center and can be managed through the mortuary.