7-02-2008

Ronald "Jay" Tow, 64

Erie, Ill. Ronald "Jay" Tow, 64, of Erie, Ill. and Sun City, Arizona, formerly of Marshalltown, died July 2, 2008, at Hammond Henry Hospital, Geneseo, Ill. Jay was born Sept.29,1943, in Marshalltown, Iowa, the son of Basil and Thelma (Lown) Tow.  He graduated from Marshalltown High School in 1960.  Jay served in the U.S. Navy from 1961 to 1964.  He was assigned to the USS Mattox which was the first ship fired on by the Vietnam War.  He married Susan Stoeber on Sept. 16, 1966, at the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa.  Jay was employed by Cessford Construction Company in LeGrand for 30 years and then at the Marshalltown Community Schools until his retirement in 2004

He was a member of the Marshalltown American Legion and V.F.W.

Survivors include his wife, Susan;  sons, Timothy (Laura) Tow and Stephen (Ginny) Tow, all of Des Moines;  grandchildren, Linsey, Nicole, jessica, Emily and Alex;  sisters, Sara Tow (John) Stone of Philadelphia, Pa., Vicki Pierson (Jim) Henricksen of Pequot Lakes, MN. and Jackie Weitzel of LeGrand.