Arthur Bowman

Arthur Dale Bowman, age 90, of Preston, Iowa died Monday, March 14, 2016 at Mercy Medical Center, Clinton, Iowa. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, March 17, 2016 at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Preston. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Preston. Burial will take place in Preston Cemetery. Memorials may be made to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church, or families' wishes.
Arthur was born February 15, 1926 in rural Bellevue, Iowa to William and Laura (Keil) Bowman. Art was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bellevue. He attended country school, graduating from the 8th grade. He then helped his father on the farm, mostly working the fields with their draft horses and helping the neighbors too.

In 1944 during WWII, when Art was 18, he was drafted into the United States Army. He went by train to Fort Snelling
, Minnesota for his physical, and then to Fort Hood, Texas for boot camp training, then to Fort Ord, San Francisco, California to board the ship overseas.
Art served two years with Headquarter Troop 2nd Squadron 112th Calvary Regiment in the Asiatic Pacific Theatre on the Philippine Islands of Leyte and Luzon. He was a member of the 37mm anti-tank gun crew, he also operated radio telephone equipment, as well as demolition of enemy weapons.
Art received the Combat Infantry Badge; Asiatic Pacific Theatre Service Ribbon with a Bronze Star; The Philippines Liberation Ribbon; The American Theatre Service Ribbon; The Good Conduct Medal; Expert Rifleman Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
After returning home from the war, Art worked for several area farmers as a hired man. One Saturday night, he went to a local dance hall called Melody Park near Preston, Iowa. It was there he met the love of his life, Cleo Mohr. She was a local “Buckeye” farmer’s daughter. Art and Cleo married on November 28, 1954 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Preston. They are the parents of Carol and Diane.
Art rented a farm near Preston for 14 years before buying his farm near Buckeye in 1969. He made a good living by milking cows, raising hogs, and of course, chickens, ducks and geese. He was very proud of being a farmer. Art also helped his father-in-law, Alfred and his brother-in-law, Claus with their Buckeye farms.
He always found time to go fishing with family, or hunting or just to visit. He enjoyed gardening and yard work. He loved his special pet friends- dogs and cats. Other interests Art had were carving and painting wooden birds. He sold or gave many away. He enjoyed helping his friend Joe Schlecht restore a log cabin and helped carve an Indian head in the rock hillside at Hoot Owl Hollow.
Art and Cleo loved to listen to country music. They went to Nashville, Tennessee to the Grand Ole Opry and Branson, Missouri on bus tours. One of his most memorable moments was going to Washington D.C. on the Honor Flight in 2009 to see the WWII memorial with Diane as his guardian.
Art was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Preston; a member of the Miles American Legion Spencer-Cook Post #677 and a member of the Iowa Farm Bureau.
The most important part of Art’s life was his family and they have always come first. His legacy lives on with his two daughters, Carol (Larry) Clark of Zwingle, Iowa and Diane (Jerry) Engelkins of Morrison, Illinois; three grandchildren, Clayton (Elaine) Clark, Amanda (Eric) Kienzle and Melissa Manders; one step-grandson, Chad (Shelley) Engelkins; three great-grandchildren, Holly Manders, Chloe Kienzle and Josie Van Roekel; six step-great-grandchildren, Jakeb, Grace, Evelyn, Cleo, Josephine and Henrick Engelkins. He is also survived by his brothers, Harold (Sandra) Bowman and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.
Art was preceded in death by his wife Cleo in 2006, his parents and siblings, Lester, Bill, Laura Belle, Edith Reistroffer, Catherine Bollen, Mary Putman and Betty Baxter.