Idell Jean Bower

April 10, 1928 - March 3, 2016

Grave side memorial services for IDELL JEAN BOWER, 87, will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 at 10:30am at the Forest Lawn Cemetery north of Morrill, Nebraska with Bishop Ryan Clayton officiating. Idell passed away at Community Hospital in Torrington on Thursday, March 3, 2016. Cremation has taken place. Colyer Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements and friends are invited to send condolences to the family at www.colyerfuneralhome.com Idell was born on April 10, 1928 in Burwell, Nebraska the daughter of Leonard and Mary (Emerson) Thompson. When Idell was very young, the family moved from Burwell to western Nebraska. Her school years were spent in different country schools in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. She began school at the age of 5. The school attended at this time was north of Morrill, Nebraska. She and her older brother, age 7, walked 1 ½ miles to attend. Most of her school years she and siblings walked to school on country roads, though sometimes they would cut across fields to cut down walking distance. Idell graduated from Huntley, Wyoming High School; and following high school, she attended business college in Denver, Colorado. After business school, she worked as a grocery store clerk for one year, and then went on to work at the county courthouse in Torrington for the County Superintendent of schools for 4 years. From there, Idell went to work for the Wyoming State Employment Service for 10 years as a senior stenographer. Idell met her husband, Floyd Bower, on a blind date. They hit it off immediately. Floyd was a farmer and among his many interests was piloting a plane. He and Idell would go flying on their dates. Floyd and Idell were married on March 4, 1960 at Minatare, Nebraska. Idell was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She enjoyed her activities in church. As a member over the years, Idell held several different callings, Among her callings were Primary teacher, nursery leader, Relief Society President, secretary, counselor, Chorister, pianist, and Librarian. Idell enjoyed gardening; her favorite flower was pink zinnias. She was an avid bird watcher and would snatch up her field glasses and be off scouting at the sound of a new bird in song. She also loved reading and usually carried some kind of reading material in her purse, lunch box, or tote. She liked being a farm wife and enjoyed the planting, growing, and harvesting of crops and the care of the cattle that was part of the agricultural programs they followed. Idell especially enjoyed trees and said it was a great blessing to have your own private forest. She and her husband, Floyd, planted over a thousand trees on their farm stead. One of Idell’s great enthusiasms was being summer caretaker for 2 nephews; J. Scott Nab and Gregory Stone. She and her hsband became volunteer summer caretakers for Scott when it became necessary for Scott’s mother, Idell’s sister, to become a working mom. Scott came to the Bower farm summers until he had finished two years of high school. Idell and Floyd became volunteer care takers for one summer for nephew, Gregory Stone, the son of Idell’s sister Patricia Stone. Patricia was ill and hospitalized at Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Greg’s father was in Japan on assignment for the Airforce. Idell is survived by her four brothers, Burdett (Ethelyn) Thompson of Sargent, Nebraska; Lester (Gloria) Thompson of Gering, Nebraska; Farish (Sue) Thompson of Afton, Wyoming and Leonard Thompson of Lyman, Nebraska; and her two sisters, Sharon Gilmore of Springfield, Missouri and Patricia Stone of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Idell was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd Bower; her parents, Leonard and Mary Emerson Thompson; two brothers, Darrell (Donna) Thompson and Denton Thompson and a sister, Isma (Bob) Nab.