Obituary: Eleanor J. Bower
Eleanor J. Bower, 92, diedbrpeacefully on Monday, June 14, 2021, at Mitchell County Regional Health Centerbrin Osage, Iowa.
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Funeral servicesbrwill be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 21, 2021, at the Champion Funeral Homebrin Osage. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery. Visitation will be frombr4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday at Champion Funeral Home.
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EleanorbrJane Miles was born January 2, 1929 to Glen D. and Thelma (Jones) Miles andbrgrew up two miles North of Saratoga. Even though it was the GreatbrDepression she remembered a home filled with good food, music, andbrlaughter. Her mother “could cook anything”, her dad played piano by earbrand entertained at neighborhood dances often writing his own parody songs, andbrher brother “Boomy” was always pulling practical jokes. Her sister, Erma,brwas born the same year and they were constantly being mistaken for twins. brShe had a special relationship with younger sister Konnie when Thelma died ofbrcancer and Eleanor stepped in as a surrogate mother.
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After graduating from Riceville in 1946 Eleanor taughtbrcountry school near Saratoga even though she was just slightly older than somebrof her students. Two years later she married Richard Bower at the LittlebrBrown Church, and moved to the house and 80 acres Northwest of New Haven thatbrhe had inherited as a child. They lived on the farm untilbrretirement. Eleanor never cared for farm work and returned to teaching inbr1953. She intended to work until she earned enough money to buy anbrelectric organ, but taught forty years – two years back in Saratoga, six yearsbrin Burr Oak township, and then thirty-one years in Osage where severalbrgenerations of 4th graders knew her as “Mrs. B.” Eleanor wasbrable to teach right out of high school with a War-time license, butbrattended night school and summer classes until she earned her two-year degreebrfrom Mason City Junior College and four-year degree from Upper Iowa Universitybrin Fayette. Despite the fact she’s been retired for nearly three decadesbrpeople still stop her children on the street to say “Your mom was my favoritebrteacher” or “Mrs. B. is the one who straightened me out.”
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Eleanor was very fond of her in-laws – John and Ethel – whobrlived right across the road on the farm. She and Dick had fourbrchildren: Brenda in 1949, Monica in 1952, John Eric in 1953, andbrthen tag-along George (originally named Glen) in 1967. Eleanor bowled,brbelonged to the ADK Teacher’s Sorority, and she and Dick belonged to the samebrcard club for forty-one years. During the 70’s they spent almost everybrweekend following their son Eric’s band – The Circle K. She helpedbrwith bible school and directed the church Christmas program for severalbrdecades, and every summer raised 300 chickens she would butcher the week beforebrschool started.
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Eleanor had always wanted to live in town, and finallybrpersuaded Dick to move to Osage after they both retired in 1993. Almostbrimmediately he told her “We should’ve done this years ago.” About thatbrtime, she also acquired the new nickname “Ellie”. After retirement Elliebrand Dick made several trips to Arizona and Florida and enjoyed going to showsbrin Branson. Dick died of a sudden heart attack in 2008 at age 80 andbrEleanor moved to the Evergreen Apartments one year later. She kept busybrplaying cards several times a day, playing her organ, reading, crocheting, andbrvisiting Diamond Jo Casino every chance she got. Eleanor lived to see herbryoungest grandchild graduate just a month before her death.
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Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband, Dick; herbrparents; her parents in-law; three brothers and one sister; daughter BrendabrKlehn; Granddaughter Becky Hall; and Son-in-Law Henry Rgnonti. She isbrsurvived by her sister Konnie Russel of Phoenix, Arizona; daughter MonicabrRgnonti of Lakeville, Minesota; son Eric and his wife Verna of Robbinsdale, Minnesota; son George and his wife Lori of Spirit Lake, Iowa; son-in-Law Jim Klehn; andbrmany grandchildren and great grand-children.
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Champion Funeral Home, Osagebr(641) 732-3706
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