Obituary of
Capt. John E. Rowland
The Dillon Herald, Dillon, South Carolina
Thursday, February 24, 1949, Page 7 Col. 3
Reburial Services For Capt. John E. Rowland
On Friday morning, February 11, the body of Captain John E. Rowland, one of the
country's fallen heroes, arrived by train in Dillon, accompanied by an officer of the United States Army.
On Sunday afternoon at two o'clock graveside services were held in "God's Acre"
at Kentyre church, conducted by Chaplain James W. Moviell, presently of Fort Jackson, together with the minister
of the Dillon Presbyterian church, a personal friend of all the members of the bereaved family. Another minister
offering his sympathetic presence to the assembled group was the Rev. C. P. Coble, Pastor of Hopewell church in
Florence county and of Latta church. The service was opened with a hymn, sung by a choir of friends from the county.
Following the song Chaplain Moviell read passages from the Bible, having been introduced as a minister ordained
in the Congregational church. After the reading of the Scripture, the congregation was led in prayer.
The minister called the family's attention to the sympathetic gesture of the host
of friends gathered from a wide section of the area and of the manifest concern of our government in going to
any length to bring back to us our beloved dead from the remotest reaches of the earth.
Veterans of World War II served as pallbearers. Captain Moore and Wilmer Lee,
service officer of the American Legion, folded the flag which Mr. Lee presented to the family with appropriate
words of sympathy and appreciation. Words of committal were repeated, a firing squad from FortJackson gave its
salute, from the near distance a bugle softly sounded taps. God's sun bathed the bared heads of the assembled
worshippers as God's benediction was pronounced, and so came to an end this part of the earthly tribute to
another soldier who had served his day and time well, and had come home for his final resting place in the
churchyard of his boyhood home.
Captain Rowland entered service on April 11, 1942. Received his basic training
at Camp Claiborne, La., he attended Officers Candidate school at Fort Bevoir, Va., after which he returned to
Camp Claiborne where he was a lieutenant in the 369th Engineers. This regiment was sent to California where
built several hospitals and camps in 1942-43.
Captain Rowland left for Guadalcanal in March 1943 where he spent 14 months in
construction work. He was promoted to captain on December 31, 1944, in June, 1945 he was sent to Manila in the
Philippines where he remained until September 1. He was moved to Luzon and died nine days later from injuries
sustained in an automobile wreck.
Captain Rowland graduated from Dillon high school and attended Clemson college two years.
Survivors include his widow the former Miss Evelyn Holder of Jonesboro, N.C.;
a son, John Edward, Jr., 5; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Rowland of Hamer, and the following brothers and
sisters: R. A. Rowland of Dillon, S-1C J. C. Rowland, USN in the Pacific, Mrs. C. B. Skipper of Fayetteville, N.C.,
Mrs. C. D. Powell of Latta, Mrs. Maxwell Booth of Bamberg and a half-sister, Mrs. Erwin Williams of Lumberton, N.C.
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