Spokane Pioneer Margaret Paine Cowles

SPOKANE - Margaret Paine Cowles, a popular historian and prolific walker who championed the rights of the underprivileged in her civic works, died Tuesday at her home. She was 89.

Mrs. Cowles was the wife of the late William H. Cowles Jr., chairman of the Cowles Publishing Co., who died in 1971, and mother of William H. Cowles 3rd, publisher of The Spokesman-Review and Spokane Chronicle.

Mrs. Cowles served on the board of trustees of Hutton Settlement, a home for underprivileged children, for 56 years. She was active in numerous civic organizations, including the Spokane Junior League and the YWCA, which honored her in 1988 for 30 years of public service.

"She always had an extreme soft spot for the underdog, particularly children, and she was not averse to dirty-hands work of any kind if it was for a good cause," said Robert K. Revel, administrator of the Hutton Settlement children's home.

She was born in Spokane July 20, 1902, to James L. and Agnes C. Paine. Her father was chairman of the board for The Crescent department store.

Her grandparents, the Rev. Henry T. and Lucy Cowley, settled in 1874 to become missionaries to the Indians. In 1879, they founded the city's first Protestant church, Westminster Congregational Church, in which she was married Dec. 3, 1930.

She served as a docent for the Campbell House and Cheney Cowles Museum, often dressing in her mother's clothing to give animated tours based on her own family's pioneer history.

Mrs. Cowles was a prolific walker and participated in annual Bloomsday road races, placing first in her age division in 1988.

She is survived by four children: William H. Cowles 3rd; James P. Cowles, Spokane; Peggy Cowles, New York City, and Agnes Cowles Bourne of San Francisco.

Mrs. Cowles is also survived by five grandchildren.