Obituary of Howard Irwin Bower

At the grand age of 95, Howard began his new life with his Heavenly Father. Howard was born in Havelock, IA on Dec. 12, 1927, to David and Annie Bower.  Annie’s friend gave her a Christmas Cactus to celebrate his birth.  After several moves in the Havelock area, Howard’s parents purchased a farm in Curlew, IA where they made their home and raised their three children: Howard, Sibyl, and Clifford.  Howard graduated high school in Curlew, IA and went on to Bible school at Northwestern Bible School in Minneapolis, MN. There he met his life partner, Charlotte.  They were married Dec. 17, 1948.  They moved to San Diego, Charlotte’s home town and quickly added two children to their home, David and Carol.  Soon their son Steve arrived. They especially enjoyed traveling within the beautiful national parks there.After several years, the family moved to Livingston, Montana where Howard took a pastor position in Paradise Valley. There they welcomed their youngest child, Timothy.  Howard was an avid hunter and the proximity of Livingston to Yellowstone NP provided a fertile landscape for that activity.  When their youngest son was in high school, Howard moved the family to Farmington, NM.  There he and Charlotte devoted themselves to church ministry.  Howard was also known in the area as the a mechanic who could fix any engine.  While in Farmington, he transformed his small ½ acre home site into an amazing garden.  To say that Howard had a green thumbwould be an understatement.  His vegetables, fruits, and flowers were the envy of the neighborhood.  His grandkids loved to visit and pick fresh strawberries and other fruits and vegetables.  In 2006, Howard and Charlotte made the move from Farmington to Claremore, OK, to be near their son Tim and his family.  From the assisted living facility to the final nursing home, Howard continued to garden.  His room was home to many varieties of plants.  
Howard was preceded in death by his wife Charlotte and daughter Carol.  He is survived by his sons David Bower and wife Marilyn, Steve Bower andwife Lori, Tim Bower and wife Cynthia, and son in law, Ted Partch, 16 grandchildren, and numerous great grandchildren, as well as his siblings Sibyl and Clifford, and the 95 year old Christmas Cactus.