Earl "Racehorse" Wayne Dowell

Earl Wayne Dowell, 65, of Batesville died Saturday, October 17, 2009 at his home.

He was born Saturday, October 14, 1944 in Batesville the son of Earl Dennison Dowell and Nettie Marie (Brooks) Dowell.

Earl was owner and CEO of Dowell Transport, Inc. In January 1974, at the age of 29, he started Dowell Transport with three trucks and five employees. Over the next thirty-six years, his business grew to forty trucks and fifty-six trailers. He enjoyed hunting deer and elk, and traveled every year to Colorado and Wyoming on hunting trips. He also enjoyed bass fishing and drag racing. He drove race cars up to fifteen years ago and raced at tracks from Newport, Arkansas to Millington, Tennessee to Bowling Green, Kentucky.

He is survived by his wife, Darlene (Taylor) Dowell of the home; two sons, Kerry Dowell and Sawyer Dowell, both of Batesville; two stepsons, Brice Stephens of Orlando, Florida and David Walmsley of Little Rock; daughter, Rhonda Dowell of Batesville; one step-daughter, Krisi Stephens also of Batesville; brother, Larry Brown of Greenwood, Arkansas; sister, Shirley Cuzzort of Batesville; grandchildren, Randell Crabtree, Bri Crabtree, Katlyn Dowell, Alexa Dowell, Linzi Dowell; four step-grandchildren: Lacey Lee, Hayden Lee, Liam Gray and August Gray; and two great-grandchildren: Bradyn Crabtree and Ryleigh Crabtree.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at Roller-Crouch Chapel in Batesville with Alan Brown officiating. Burial will be in Oaklawn Cemetery under the direction of Roller-Crouch Funeral Home of Batesville.

Pallbearers will be John Robert Cuzzort, David Branstetter, John Ed Welch, Tommy Ford, Von Clouse and Charles Hon. Honorary pallbearers are Employees of Dowell Transport, Inc., Dr. Robert Walton, Dr. John Allgood, Dr. Lawrence Mendelsohn, and the Doctors and Staff of M. D. Anderson Cancer Hospital.

The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Monday, October 19 at the funeral home.

The family has requested memorials be made to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486 (telephone 800-525-5841).