Vanessa Kay Rowan

Vanessa Kay Rowan, 51, of Evening Shade, departed this life on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, in Batesville.  She was born on February 26, 1975, in Elaine, Arkansas, to Michael Hardesty and Vivian Sexton.

Vanessa was one who never met a stranger and once you met her she left an impact on your life.  She loved to make people laugh and always had a heart for those who might be considered an “underdog”.  She was very talented, had a creative imagination, and could make anything. 

Left to cherish her memory is her mother, Vivian Keiter, of Southside; her sons, Harley Rowan (Nicholas Freund), of Hardy, and Xavier Rowan, of Hardy; her brothers, George Keiter, of Southside, and Michael (Serena) Keiter, of Jonesboro; her nieces and nephews, Isabella, Hollis, Sophie, Jessica, Tabatha, Jesse, and Garland; and many friends.

Vanessa is preceded in death by her father, Michael; and her husband, James Wayne Rowan.

No service is planned at this time.