Harley L Bowers

Rock Rapids, IA Harley L. Bowers, age 90 of Rock Rapids, IA died Monday, August 3, 2015 at Lyon Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Rock Rapids. A memorial service will be 11:00 AM, Friday, August 7th at First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, IA, with Rev. Dan Haggar officiating. Private family Inurnment will be prior to the service at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids. Visitation will be Thursday, August 6th from 2:00 to 8:00 PM, with the family present from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Rock Rapids City Parks. Harley Louis Bowers was born March 8, 1925 near Bicknell, Indiana, the son of Louis and Lula (Kays) Bowers. He attended Bicknell Community Schools and graduated in 1943. In February of 1943, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and because of his age, needed his mother to give legal consent. He served at the San Diego Naval base and was stationed on a tug boat. In 1945 he was transferred to a destroyer. He served in the South Pacific, Tokyo Bay, and Yokohama until 1946. He received his honorable discharge in April of 1946. While he was stationed in San Diego he met Dorthea Lindstrom. The two were married in April of 1946. Three children were born to this union, Janice, Pamela and Bruce. While they lived in California, Harley worked for the Navy while attending San Diego State University. He then worked at Simon Levi, a supply warehouse that delivered food and beverages to area grocery stores. In 1953, Harley and his family moved back to Iowa to farm with his father-in-law, Elvin, and eventually farmed his own land. Harley stopped farming in September of 1975 and began working for Heetland Electric of Laurens, IA. He worked in a four-state area building power plant substations, which brought him to the Rock Rapids area. While working in Rock Rapids, he met Marlene (Vreeman) Van't Hof and they were married in August of 1978 at The Little Brown Church in Nashua, IA. Soon after they married, Harley began working at K-Products in Rock Rapids and retired in the late 90's. Harley was a member of First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids, Rex Strait Post No. 103 American Legion in Rock Rapids, and Post No. 24 VFW in Laurens, IA. He loved working with flowers and plants and loved being outdoors, usually without a shirt, in sandals or barefoot. Harley loved reading roadmaps and discussing the best possible routes with anyone taking a trip to anywhere. He enjoyed collecting and researching coins and collected thousands of them. He often gave coins as a gift to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He also enjoyed old tractors and trains, history and reading. After retirement, he and Marlene spent many days camping at Lake Okoboji, and loved sharing this pastime with their grandchildren every summer. In September of 2014, Harley entered the Lyon Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Rock Rapids, where he remained until his death this past Monday, August 3, 2015. He is survived by his wife, Marlene Bowers of Rock Rapids, IA; two daughters, Janice (Lowell) Hartman of Fairmont, MN and Pamela (David) George of Manson, IA; a daughter-in-law, Deb Bowers of Marceline, MO; four step-children, Darsha (Ron) Tuenge of Rock Rapids, IA; Dan (Cindy) Van't Hof of Sioux Falls, SD; Doug (Lisa) Van't Hof of Alvord, IA; and Darren (Patricia) Van't Hof of St. Louis, MO; twenty-one grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; one sister, Suetta Elkins of Terre Haute, Indiana; one sister-in-law, Lucile Bowers of Bicknell, Indiana; and special lifelong friend, Dale Lindstrom of Broken Arrow, OK. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Lula Bowers; his son, Bruce Bowers; a brother, Don Bowers; and two sisters, Patricia and Margareta.