Marlene Kay Bowling

June 18, 1943 - July 23, 2019

PIERCE — Services for Marlene K. Bowling, 76, Pierce, will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 29, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pierce. The Rev. Gordon Bruce will officiate. Burial will be in Prospect View Cemetery in rural Pierce. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Sunday at Stonacek Memorial Chapel in Pierce. She died Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at Plainview Manor in Plainview. Born June 18, 1943, in rural Knox County, Marlene Kay Bowling was the daughter of Walter and Hilda (Kumm) Buhrman. She was baptized at Golgotha Lutheran Church in rural Wausa and confirmed on April 14, 1957, at Zion Lutheran Church in Plainview. She attended Creighton Public Schools and graduated from Creighton High School in 1961. She then graduated from Lincoln School of Commerce with a degree in secretarial and business. She married Phillip H. Bowling Jr. on June 1, 1962, at Golgotha Lutheran Church in rural Wausa. Their first date with each other had been a blind date that took off from there. After marriage, they lived in Lincoln and then farmed in rural Knox County. The family moved to Foster in 1972 and later on moved to Pierce. Marlene worked as a dispatcher and office manager for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years before retiring in 2010. She was known as “The Boss.” Marlene enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, listening to country music, dancing and spending time with her family. She has been a resident of the Plainview Manor the last five years. Survivors include a daughter, Kim Gardner of Pierce and dear friend LeeRoy Lauridsen of O’Neill; a son David and spouse Danell Bowling of Canistota, S.D.; three grandchildren, Travis (Sara) Gardner, Megan (Bryce) Olsen and Grace Bowling; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Dale Buhrman of Creighton; and three sisters, Janice (Dellis) Pittack of Plainview, Diane (Harold) Gerdes of Memphis and Betty (Butch) Babcock of Winsted, Minn. She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Hilda; her spouse, Phillip, who died June 21, 2014; and a son-in-law, Randy Gardner. Organist will be Dottie Ahlers. Congregational hymns will be “What A Friend We Have In Jesus,” recorded hymn “Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone” and “On Eagle’s Wings.” Casket bearers will be David Bowling, Travis Gardner, LeeRoy Lauridsen, Rick Eberhardt, Wayne Hansen, Bill Bonta, Joey Burke and Joseph Burke.