Marjorie Bower Obituary

Marjorie Bower, age 98, passed away November 20, 2010 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was a special education teacher and a homemaker. Home and family always came first for Marjorie. Marjorie Frances Thuirer was born on May 20, 1912 in Spencer, Iowa to Clarence L. and Elnora (Greene) Thuirer. She married “the man of my dreams,� whom she had met in college, Kenneth R. Bower, on June 29, 1935 at the Spencer farm home where she was raised. Their first home was in an apartment in Decorah, Iowa where Kenneth was employed with the Department of Agriculture in Barberry eradication work and Marjorie was a homemaker. In the fall of 1953 she was the p.m. Teacher-Aide at the Jane Mercer Pre-School. In August of 1955 the family moved to Indianola, Iowa where Kenneth was employed with the Des Moines, Iowa State Office Department of Agriculture. In October 1955, she was Homemaking teacher in New Virginia, Iowa and later did some substitute teaching. From September 1958 through May 1962 she taught p.m. Homemaking classes in Martensdale, Iowa. In Fall of 1963, she worked for the Des Moines Schools in Special Education at Slinker School with the trainable mentally handicapped young children, which she greatly enjoyed. In the summer of 1966 she completed work at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa to receive endorsement 35 in Special Education. In June of 1971, Marjorie and Kenneth retired and moved to Oregon, becoming Christmas tree farmers in Beavercreek. They remained in Oregon for 20 years and then moved to Colorado to be near their daughters' families. She enjoyed the view of Pikes Peak from their new home and was reminded of the verse, “I life up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth,� Psalm 121:1-2. Her education included country school through 8th grade (Summit Center), four years of high school (Spencer, Iowa), and four years of college at Iowa State (Amos, Iowa). Her major there was Home Economics and Smith Hughes Education which qualified her for teaching adult night school in Winfield, Iowa. Her first job out of college was a Home Economics teaching job in Winfield, Iowa from the fall of 1933 to the spring of 1935. She also coached high school plays. Marjorie is survived by her children: Marilyn (husband Bob) Vidano of Colorado Springs, Larry (wife Teresa) Bower of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Margene (husband Tom) Pluister of Colorado Springs, and Robert (wife Marti) Bower of Hope, Rhode Island. She is also survived by ten grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. Her husband, Kenneth, preceded her in death. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at the Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful� Chapel. Private inurnment will take place at the Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum, Garden of Angels. Memorials in Marjorie's name may be made to Sol Amor Hospice, 655 Southpointe Ct., #201, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.