Fred Bowes, 88, Boone, Iowa
BOONE, Iowa—Frederick (Fred) H. Bowes, age 88, of Boone passed away Friday Oct. 2, 2026 at Westhaven Community.
Fred was born in Boone, Iowa on March 30, 1938 to John Dwight and Clara (Peter) Bowes. He attended Trinity Lutheran School and Boone High School and graduated in 1956. He then joined the Marine Corps and after basic training in California was assigned a post in Japan. His extra vertebra proved to be more debilitating than originally thought and he was discharged for medical reasons. He returned to Boone and briefly attended junior college before joining Vogler Neiman Chevrolet in Boone.
One day he was with a friend in downtown Boone and Fred spotted the woman he just knew would be his wife. He met Ruth Ione Askland that day and they did marry on June 12, 1960. At that time, he began working with his brother-in-law and learned the flooring/countertop trade that he worked at the rest of his career. He worked at Iowa State briefly in that trade then began contracting for his own projects. He worked for many of the builders in Boone, Ames and the Des Moines area through his career, then in later years worked through Redeker’s Furniture.
Fred and Ruth were blessed with four daughters, listed here with their childhood nicknames, so named by their dad. Julie (The Jule), Rhonda (Ron Pepper), Susan (Suze), and Sonja (Old Naughty) – the youngest after his own mischievous heart. Fred was a really hard worker and a wonderful provider for his house full of girls. He was very interested and involved in all their endeavors in music, dance, and athletics.
Fred was a man who worked hard and played hard. His hobbies included fishing, going to Canada several times with friends, culminating in a trip to Saskatchewan’s Great Slave Lake which he said was like fishing on a very rough ocean in a rowboat. He then began a long love of snowmobiling taking many trips with his buddies to the wilds of Wisconsin, Michigan, Yellowstone and Iowa, this time culminating in a trip circumnavigating Lake Superior. He was open to adventures of all kinds and enjoyed skydiving a couple times for a birthday treat.
During family years our parents always took us on great vacations in the summer, as well as camping all around Iowa many weekends. In their empty nest years Fred and Ruth enjoyed traveling to several favorite destinations. But then because they loved their family so much, they decided to include all the kids and grandkids in their vacation adventures. They had fun in Branson, MO, the Disney Parks in FL, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Fred helped enable many good times for the family that gave us so many great memories of those shared adventures!
Fred was a proud lifelong member of Trinity Lutheran Church and School. This church shaped his life and trained him well to face the challenges of this world with the Lord at his side. He took great comfort and pride in his Christian faith throughout his life and taught those he loved the same.
Fred was preceded in death by his parents, Dwight and Clara Bowes; his brother, John Bowes; his sister, Sharon Witcraft; his stillborn son, Paul Allen Bowes; and his son-in-law, Scott Russell.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Ruth Bowes; his daughters and their children: Julie Bowes; Rhonda Russell (Joshua and Carson); Susan Trow (Zachary and Brittany); Sonja Bammert (Mallory and Donovan); his sister, Norma Atkinson; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church, 712 12th Street, Boone, with Rev. Jessten Heimer officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Linwood Park Cemetery, Boone.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Schroeder-Reimers Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall Streets in Boone. Online condolences may be left to Fred’s family at www.schroedermemorialchapel.com
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