Jesse M. Dowell, Jr.

Jesse Murray Dowell Jr, 96, of Champaign, died on Sunday, February 12, 2023 at home with loved ones and his nurse beside him.

There will be a visitation from 10-11 am on Friday, February 24, 2023 at First United Methodist Church, 210 W. Church, Champaign. The funeral service will begin at 11am, with Rev. Julia Melgreen officiating. Interment will immediately follow at Riverside Cemetery, Mahomet. Owens Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Jesse was born on July 25, 1926 to Jesse M. “Jim” Dowell, Sr. and to Lydia Bunker Lacey Dowell in Urbana. Jesse Jr grew up on Grand View Farm in Mahomet. Jesse lived in Champaign for most of his life, except for a few years on his farm in Tolono and 5 years near Chicago, in Lake Bluff.

During WWII, Jesse trained to be a bombardier, navigator, ordinance and gunner in a “PBM-5” plane, the largest bomber plane in the Navy Air Corps. After WWII, he became a pilot and managed the airport at Iowa State University in Ames, IA.

Jesse graduated from the University of IL with a BS in Animal Science, with minors in Farm Management and Chemistry and Master of Science degrees in Farm Management and Economics.

Jesse owned and managed “Dowell Agricultural Specialists” from 1952 throughout his lifetime. He served as an accredited Farm Manager and Land Appraiser at several banking institutions in IL. He also managed 4500 acres with 129 farm homes on the Sibley Estate located in Sibley, IL. He was President of IL Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers in 1968 (the same age his father also held that office) and in 1983 he was President of American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He enjoyed traveling to most of the US and throughout many other countries. Jesse was asked by the government to help with bank and agricultural developments in Russia in 1995 and 1999. He also helped in Ethiopia in 2000. Among his many accomplishments, Jesse was most proud of creating the F.G.I.C (Federal Grain Insurance Corporation), which he modeled after the F.D.I.C. (in banking).

Jesse enjoyed teaching Farm Management courses at the University of IL, for other institutions and for philanthropic endeavors. In his communities, he served in many leadership roles which included: the Methodist church, Jaycees, University of IL, Tolono school board, Kiwanis, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Maynard Lake Subdivision and much more. Jesse and his family donated 3 acres to create ‘Dowell Park’ for the children of Mahomet, in honor of his parents (JM Dowell Senior and Lydia Lacey Dowell).

He exemplified a love for his immediate and extended families in every good and Godly way. He loved God and his First United Methodist Church, where he met the love of his life, Dottie Carr Dowell. They were married in 1951 and cherished building family, friends and professions together for 68 joy filled years.

Jesse was preceded in death by his mother, Lydia “Dot” Dowell; father, Jim Dowell; siblings, David Dowell (Nelda), John Dowell (Della) and Helen Dowell Edmunds (Dave).  

He is survived by a daughter, Ellen Dowell Hendrickson (Jon); a son, Murray Dowell (Ljubica); grandchildren, Jennifer Schmidt, Kelly Kenefick (Mike), Nathan Dowell and Jesse Murray Dowell III; and 1 great granddaughter, Hannah Kenefick.

Heartfelt thank you to the best caregivers; Murray Dowell, Jon Hendrickson, Andrea Emmert, Cathy Webb and Fawn Edmunds Palmer.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jesse M. Dowell, Jr., please visit our floral store.