Spring Valley Fire Department founder remembered for decades of volunteer service
There wasn’t an empty seat in the house at Louis Fowler’s funeral. Over 100 friends, family and first responders filled the room, with dozens standing in the back, to bid farewell to a fire chief who forged his own path to protect lives and property in Polk County.
In 1979, Fowler established the Spring Valley Fire Department in rural Polk County outside West Salem. He worked as a volunteer there for 46 years, holding every position in the department including Fire Chief, according to his obituary.
He died at his West Salem home on Dec. 14, at the age of 72.
Fowler was driven by a want to help people in need, said Pastor Jody Becker in remarks during Fowler’s Friday, Jan. 10, memorial service at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service in Salem. Becker interviewed his friends and family to write the eulogy.
“Wanting to save people in dire circumstances is what led ‘Louie’ to see a need for a rural fire unit in Spring Valley,” Becker said. “I’ve never met the founder of a fire department. Truthfully, I assumed they just always existed. But that’s how easy it is to take for granted the impact even a volunteer squad of a dozen committed individuals makes on a community.”
The funeral included traditional honors including a color guard, uniformed personnel from fire departments in Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties and a “Last Alarm Service,” the ringing of a bell to signal his duties were complete.
Fowler graduated from South Salem High School in 1970. He met his wife Donnell at a local restaurant in 1977, and they were friends for many years before marrying in 1994, according to his obituary. He died about two weeks before their 30th wedding anniversary.
“Some guys will do anything to get out of a party,” Becker said. His wife had told Becker he would be embarrassed at the large showing at his funeral.
Becker said in the eulogy that Fowler always took his job as a firefighter seriously. The Spring Valley Fire District covers the Willamette River up to near Northwest Valley Creek Road, and westward toward the juncture of Bethel and Zena roads.
Becker said Fowler had an “intricate” filing system that the Spring Valley Firefighters will need to sort out, which made those gathered laugh.
Outside of firefighting, Fowler could be found eating breakfast at Annette’s Westgate and making community connections at Lincoln Store. Since 2008, he owned and operated his father’s longtime sand and gravel business, Fowler Trucking.
Fowler also hand-fed deer off the deck of his home.
“He was a big guy with the softest of heart, which is evident especially in those poor barn cats. No longer are they receiving their daily prepared meals of rotisserie chicken diced up just so and warmed to their liking. They’re back to dry cat food,” Becker said, to laughter.
At the end of the service, a bagpiper played. In the following silence, quiet weeping could be heard in the room.
Those gathered left Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service for a procession of fire trucks to bury Fowler at Restlawn Memory Gardens & Funeral Home.
Contact reporter Abbey McDonald: [email protected] or 503-575-1251.
A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE.
Abbey McDonald joined the Salem Reporter in 2022. She previously worked as the business reporter at The Astorian, where she covered labor issues, health care and social services. A University of Oregon grad, she has also reported for the Malheur Enterprise, The News-Review and Willamette Week.
