Born Molly Watson in April 1932, Mrs Cowled was schooled at Yarragundry where she and her brother would take the horse and sulky to school.

After high school, she became a nurse at Wagga Base Hospital, later moving to Junee Hospital where she met a Junee Reefs farmer called Milton Cowled.

They were married in August 1957 and moved to the family farm Goongoona. In 1958, their first child, Peter, was born and then in 1960, their daughter Jennifer arrived. 

After being encouraged to join the Junee Reefs CWA branch, it became one of Mrs Cowled’s great passions. In a proud moment, she was made life member.

She won state and national prizes for her fruit cake and patchwork and was called to judge the cooking sections at local agricultural shows. She also did sheep work with Mr Cowled away share-farming.

As a Junee Reefs RFS member, she would help co-ordinate firefighters.

Her love of horses started early in her life and she was an instructor at Junee Pony Club, sharing her passion with younger riders, as well as breeding and showing her part Arabian horses.

Mr Cowled died in 1998 and Mrs Cowled, only 66 years old, was adamant that she would stay on the farm. Despite having her right leg amputated below the knee in 2005, she stayed on the farm. 

Mrs Cowled always said she would only leave when she died. One day after feeding the animals, she prepared for a doctor’s appointment, headed upstairs for a brief lie-down and was found shortly after by her family, still with her work boots on.

She is survived by her son, daughter, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.