Sarah Anne McDowell was born to Terry and Janie McDowell in Fortuna, California on February 27, 1980. After a long illness she passed away in San Jose on December 7, 2016, with her sister, Katy, at her side.

Sarah attended elementary school in Fortuna and graduated Fortuna High School class of 1998. She then attended Frederick and Charles Beauty College where she began her lifelong love of helping others. Sarah was a worker often holding more than one job to get by. She was fiercely loyal to her friends and often times took the side of the underdog with her keen sense of fairness. She loved keeping her home as her little nest trying out various dishes and always trying to emulate her mother’s famous recipes. Sharing her life was her little dog, Kahlua or Lu, who really was attached to her and gave her loyal attention for many years.

Sarah worked at various salons in Fortuna as well as a stint at St. Luke’s, Visiting Angels and Starbucks. Tragedy struck her life when she lost her infant son, Kaiden and shortly after, her mother, Janie in 2004. Those of us in the family saw behind her brave exterior, a broken heart that just could not recover. Personally, she endured many hospitalizations in the last 10 years and was diagnosed as terminal in July of this year. Our beloved Sarah is no longer in pain.

Sarah is survived by her sisters, Katy Lund and her son Conor, of Fortuna, Kelly Agan and her sons Carson and Colton of Reno, Nevada, her father Terry McDowell of Fortuna, aunts and uncles scattered about. Sarah was preceded in death by her son, Kaiden, and her mother, Janie McDowell. We wish to thank all of those who knew Sarah and befriended her over all these years. You individually enriched her life. A special thanks we extend to her friends, Deni Greene and Tara Arnold who sat with her in the hospital at the end.

There will a private family gathering to remember our dear Sarah.

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The obituary above was submitted by Sarah Anne McDowell’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.