Gertrude H. Bowers, age 94 of Menno, SD passed away January 1, 2012 at the Avera Sacred Heart Hospital, Yankton, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Thursday, January 5, 2012 at the Aisenbrey-Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Menno, with Rev. David Ellis officiating. Burial will be in the Rosehill Cemetery, Scotland, at approximately 1:15 PM Thursday afternoon. Visitations will be 5 to 7 PM, Wednesday, at the Aisenbrey-Opsahl-Kostel Memorial Chapel, Menno, and then one hour prior to the service.
Gertrude was born September 18, 1917 in Menno, SD to Gottlob and Mamie (Eaton) Haar. Gertrude grew up in Olivet, SD. She was baptized October 14, 1917 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Menno, SD. She married Earl (Curly) Bowers in June of 1936. They resided on farms in the Olivet area until retiring in Olivet in 1970.
After the death of her husband in 1979, Gertrude moved to Yankton. While there, she was active with Senior Citizens; playing pinochle, clowning with a ladies group and whistling with her band. She loved children and they loved her, especially her nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.
In 2009 she moved to the Menno-Olivet Care Center where she resided until her death. She was thought of fondly at the home, winking at the staff and calling everyone "kid".
She leaves to mourn, her sister, Marietta Rames of Menno, SD; nephews, Steve (Bev) Haar of Grand Junction, CO; Mark (Peg) Rames of Olivet, SD; Doug Michel of Devils Lake, ND and nieces, Trudi (Mark) Schaeffer of Olivet, SD, Glenda (Mike) Hood of Papallion, NE, Kandace (Mike) Spence of Dothan, AL, Sheila (Alan) Russell of Rockaway Beach, OR, and many great nieces and great nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl; brothers, Harold and Howard Haar; sister, Ruth (Haar) Michel , two infant sisters, Irene and Dorthea, brothers-in-law, Earl Rames and Lynn Michel, sisters-in-law, Nellie and Gladys Haar, and two nieces, Myra Deters and Dorene Michel.
