Iva Marie Bowen, 90, of LeRoy, Kansas, passed away Friday morning, May 22, 2020, at Sunset Manor at Waverly, Kansas.

Iva Marie Bowen was born March 27, 1930 in rural Waverly, Kansas to John and Olive Fern (Kukuk) Norman.  She grew up in rural Waverly and graduated from Waverly High School in 1947.

On November 16, 1952, she and L.D. Bowen were united in marriage at the Burlington Christian Church.  They started their family in Burlington KS where Iva worked at Duckwall's.  They then moved to LeRoy in 1960 when they purchased a local grocery store that operated as Bowen's Grocery until November of 1982.  After closing the grocery store, Iva went to work for the United States Postal Service in LeRoy.

Iva was a very active member of the First Christian Church in LeRoy.  She was a member of the church's CWF group.  She also supported her community by being involved in various organizations and activities, including the Pride group of LeRoy, the LeRoy Homecoming Committee, EHU and served on the election board.  She also served as Grand Marshal for the LeRoy homecoming parade in 2014.  She held several offices in the Order of the Eastern Star in LeRoy and earned her 50 year pin.

Family was the most important thing to Iva.  She made daily phone calls to numerous friends and family and never missed an activity that she could go to.  Although Sunset Manor was not her true home, she always said she was happy to go "back home" to Waverly.  She could always be found with her best friend and foe, her sister Evelyn.

She was preceded in death by L.D. in 1993 and a son Dallas Bowen in 2003.  She was also preceded in death by her parents, a brother, John Wayne Norman, and sisters Evelyn Kimmell and Adelia Ritchey.

She leaves her daughter, Judy and her husband Dale Smith of Yates Center, KS; a son Dennis and his wife Dianne of Kansas City, MO; a daughter-in-law, Lori (Bowen) Smith of Wellsville, KS; nine grandchildren, Trenton Smith, Jon Bowen, Shannon Culver, Amy Hollingsworth, Ben Bowen, Patrick Bowen, Derek Bowen, Kayla Bertoncino, and Kelly Bowen; great-grandchildren; a sister Audrey Keith, of Burlington, KS; numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Private family funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at Jones Funeral Home in Burlington, Kansas. Burial will follow in Glendale Cemetery northeast of Burlington.

Iva will lie in state from 4:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Tuesday at the funeral home. Family and friends are invited and will be allowed into the funeral home in controlled numbers.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church, LeRoy, Kansas, and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, PO Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.

The funeral service will be streamed on Facebook Live and may be viewed in real time or at a later time.

To view the service on Facebook Live use this link https://www.facebook.com/jonesfuneralhomeburlingtonks/ or go to Facebook and search for Jones Funeral Home Burlington Kansas.

View Memorial Video Here: https://youtu.be/CnkzcSN1RFk