Wilma (Kendrick) Lowell had a passion for music that took flight when she left Eckert, CO, in 1941 to attend the University of Denver on a music scholarship. Within the span of a year, her life path changed dramatically with the onset of WW II. She traded learning music theory and practicing, for weather forecasting and decoding as a Navy Wave. While in the Navy, she married an Army Air Force officer from Cedaredge, Charles (Chuck) Lowell.
After the war, Wilma settled into life as a military wife and mother of daughters, Terry and D.Jo. In the mid 1950s, her love of music emerged from the shadows and again became a priority. Wilma returned to college and completed her music degree. She taught piano from then until her death at the age of 88. Throughout Chuck’s career in the Air Force, Wilma honed her skills for organization and developing programs to meet community needs: a 24/7 military base day care center, Turkish/American liaison for language and music, Girl Scouts, and a hobby store in Delta, to name a few.
Retirement saw the Lowell’s return to Eckert with their young son, David. It wasn’t long before their grown daughters and families also moved to Eckert. Music was a family staple in the Lowell home. Terry and D.Jo started piano and violin at an early age and continued their musical training in college. Years later, young David started learning several instruments. Wilma recognized that little opportunity existed in the area for playing classical music, and she didn’t like instruments gathering dust. Subsequently, she began hosting weekly music nights as a way for her family and friends to keep their instruments well dusted!
Eventually, one of those music nights led to a conversation about the lack of a public venue for more classical musicians to play on a regular basis.The question of starting a local orchestra was raised. Wilma needed no additional encouragement, and with the help of a few others—now known along with Wilma as “VSA Founders”—musical magic quickly happened.
The newly organized Valley Symphony had its first concert in Cedaredge in 1971. Fifty-three years later, the Valley Symphony Association continues to thrive.