ROWEN, B.N. "Nate"

ROWEN, COUCH, JOHNSON, HILL, THACKER, REINERT, WITTER

Posted By: Lynette Edsall (email)
Date: 8/20/2007 at 09:48:09

B.N. "Nate" Rowen, 86, of Bonner Springs, Kan., former longtime Cherokee resident, passed away Saturday, Aug. 11, 2007, at Providence Place Nursing Home in Kansas City, Kan.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cherokee, with the Rev. Magrey deVega officiating. Burial will be in Newell Cemetery. There will be a family prayer service at 10:15 a.m. Friday at the church. Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m. and a Masonic service at 7:30 p.m., at Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee.

Nate was born June 2, 1921, in Fonda, Iowa, to Prospro L. and Ora B. (Couch) Rowen.

He was married to Pauline M. Johnson on June 5, 1943, in Albert City, Iowa. He had worked for the Illinois Central Railroad as a railroad agent for 40 years, retiring June 1, 1982. He had lived in Bonner Springs, Kan. for two years prior to this in Cherokee for many years. He had also lived in Washta, Duncombe, Rock Rapids, and Marcus, Iowa, for 16 years.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army. He was a member of the Lions Club, Cherokee Country Club, Morse Telegraph Club, a 50-year member of the Speculative Lodge 307 A.F. & A.M., the York Rite Bodies and the Abu Bekr Shrine Temple. He enjoyed golf, various club activities, playing cards, reading and stamp collecting.

He is survived by three children and spouses, Bruce Rowen and Fran Hill-Rowen of St. Cloud, Minn., Kathy and Curtis Thacker of Bonner Springs, Kan., and Kris Reinert of Bonner Springs; nine grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; a brother and his wife, Loys D. and Marge Rowen of Denison, Iowa; and a sister, Delia J. Witter of Phoenix, Ariz.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and his wife, Pauline on Sept. 9, 2003.