Mercedes, Clarence
taken from the 2006 Manning Quasqui History book
Clarence Bowers married Mercedes Strosahl, June 16, 1937, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Manning, Iowa.
Clarence's parents are Bert and Matilda (Dockweiler) Bowers. Clarence was born April 26, 1912, at home in rural Scotland, South Dakota.
Mercedes' parents are Claus and Greta (Eckhoff) Strosahl. Mercedes was born October 8, 1916, at home near Manilla. Claus came to America in 1906 from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Greta came from Germany via South America where she went by ship as a nanny. They were married March 9, 1912.
Clarence and Mercedes lived with her parents the first year they were married and then moved west of Manning on a farm. They bought the farm in 1954, building a new house in 1961. They have lived sixty-seven years on their family farm.
Clarence and Mercedes are the parents of two children. Richard was born in 1941 and died of cancer in 1997. Dick and his wife Jan have two daughters, Julie (Hawkins) and Niki, both of Loveland, Colorado.
Kay was born in 1944 and is an English Second Language teacher in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mercedes has many hobbies, some of them being china painting, sewing, flowers, and cooking. Clarence has been a retired farmer almost thirty years but still enjoys working the soil while gardening. Mercedes is a member of the Tri-County Social Club. Both Mercedes and Clarence are lifelong members of the Zion Lutheran Church in Manning, Iowa.
In Loving Memory Clarence "Peg" Bowers
Visitation
Sunday, July 13, 2008 after 4:00 PMClarence Raymond "Peg," son of Bert and Matilda (Dockweiler) Bowers, was born April 26, 1912, at home on the farm near Scotland, South Dakota. He attended rural school and public school in town before starting to work full time on the family farm. He also worked for neighboring farmers. In 1932 he moved to Manning, Iowa, where his brother Eugene had settled after he heard about the area from his Aunt Emma Stammer. He worked for various area farmers including the Struves, Erps, Steens and Strosahls.
On June 16, 1937, Peg was united in marriage with Mercedes Strosahl at Zion Lutheran Church in Manning. As an adult, he was baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran. In early 1938 the couple moved to the Hockett Farm and started farming for themselves. Peg and Mercedes were the parents of two children. They purchased the farm in 1954 and built a new house in 1962. Peg retired from farming in 1977. However, they continued to live in their home on the farm and rented out the land.
Peg was a member of Zion Lutheran Church where he served as trustee and elder. He was a rural school board director and chairman of the board of the Aspinwall Coop. Peg loved working around the farm, mowing and gardening. He also enjoyed fishing and playing cards in his spare time.
When Peg's health began to fail, he was able to remain at home with the loving care of his wife and daughter. He died there on Friday, July 11, 2008, at the age of 96 years, 2 months and 15 days.
Preceding Peg in death are his parents; son Richard Bowers in 1997; four brothers: Earl, Eugene, Richard and wife Ony and Don Bowers; sister Merna and husband Delfs Gehrke; brothers-in-law Clausie Strosahl and John Strosahl; sister-in-law Margot and husband Walter Carson.
He is survived by his wife Mercedes Bowers of Manning; daughter Kay Bowers of Omaha, NE; granddaughters Julie Kay Bowers and fiance Matt Stock of Winter Park, CO, and Niki and husband Mike O'Brien of Loveland, CO; daughter-in-law Jan Bowers of Loveland, CO; step-grandsons Keith and Kevin Hildreth of Colorado; brother George Bowers and wife Clara of Sparks, NV; five sisters-in-law: Dorothy and husband Ken Knudson; Gertrude Bowers; Joyce Strosahl; Janiece Bowers and Ruth Bowers; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.