Linda Gower, longtime Lewisburg worker and neighbor, dies at 79
Linda Gower, a lifelong Lewisburg resident who worked at Milton Shoe Factory and Days Inn, died Jan. 15; her passing is felt by family and neighbors.
Linda L. Gower, a familiar face in Lewisburg who spent decades working in local industry and hospitality, died Jan. 15 at Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village. She was 79.
Born Dec. 16, 1946, in Lewisburg, Gower worked many years at the Milton Shoe Factory and later at the Days Inn in Lewisburg until retirement. Her life revolved around family, neighborhood walks and the kitchen, where she enjoyed cooking and baking for relatives and friends.
Gower was the daughter of the late Nicholas Gower Jr. and Eleanor (Stahl) Gower. She is survived by her children Brian Gower of Enola, Anthony Gower of Bloomsburg and Corey Gower, along with siblings Nicholas Gower III, Grace Wagner, Teresa Ernest, Ronald Gower, Richard Gower, Ruth Sharr, Shirley Reichard and June Haines. She also leaves numerous nieces and nephews who remember her as a steady presence in the family.
Her work history reflects the changing economic landscape of Union County. Employment at the Milton Shoe Factory ties Gower to a generation for whom local manufacturing provided steady livelihoods, while her later service work at the Days Inn mirrors the region’s growth in hospitality and service jobs. Those shifts have implications for how the county cares for aging workers who spent their careers in workplaces that have since transformed or closed.
Gower’s final years at Buffalo Valley Lutheran Village bring attention to long-term care in this community. As Union County’s population ages, facilities that serve older residents play an increasingly important role for families and public health. Access to affordable, quality elder care and programs that keep older adults connected to neighbors and kin matter to local health outcomes and to social equity across generations.
Her passing is felt across townhouses, porches and church pews where residents recall shared meals and neighborhood walks. For families in Enola, Bloomsburg and here in Lewisburg, the loss underscores the everyday contributions of workers whose labor and hospitality helped shape local life.
For readers, Gower’s life is a reminder to tend to the social supports that keep older neighbors engaged and cared for. Check on elderly relatives and friends, keep in touch with those who may be isolated, and consider how community services and policy can better support long-term care needs as the county’s population continues to age.
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