BLACK HAWK | Delores Ann "Dee" Bower passed away peacefully on May 28, 2019, at home, with her family by her side. Dee was diagnosed in February 2018 with Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer. After her diagnosis, she was determined to beat this. If you knew Dee, you knew she would try to beat this. She had been to doctors at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, AZ, and MD Anderson in Houston, TX. She also went to Mexico for a nontraditional cancer treatment. Unfortunately the cancer was taking over and had spread throughout her body including her brain. She had fought with everything she had.

Dee was born Nov. 4, 1944, in Kellogg, ID, to Abe Larsen and Elizabeth Hanlon Larsen. Dee eloped at the age 15 years old to be with her best friend and soul mate, Craig Bower who was 17 years old in September 1960. In 1965, Craig and Dee started Midwest Paint Service. Throughout the following decades, their business led them to travel roughly 3,380,000 miles in their 50 years of business. And that's all miles by car not air. Craig and Dee loved traveling for their business. Not only was Dee an owner of Midwest Paint Service, she was also a licensed Insurance Agent, she was involved in World Services Inc., Super 8 Developers Inc., Midwest Saving and Loans and Bethlehem Cave in Piedmont.

Dee was a member of the YMCA, Elks Club, Moose Club and many more. She loved to keep herself busy at all times. She was one of the hardest working women you would ever meet. She loved spending time at her homes in Port Isabel, TX, Rocky Point, Mexico, and West Whitlock Bay in Gettysburg, SD. Dee had many passions in life. Two of her favorite things were shelling on the beach and fishing. And let me tell you she was one heck of a fisherwoman. In 2018 she was proud of her catch of an 11.85 lb., 30" walleye. That's just one of her many great catches, like her husband.

Dee was a dedicated mother and wife first and foremost. She treasured her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She had a vivacious personality and always found a positive in every person she met. She will be missed by so many. She is survived by her soul mate and love of her life, Craig Bower; her children, Bart Bower and Dawn Bower-Kruske (Kirk). Grandchildren Ashley (Jeremy) Wallace; Blayne (Tessa) Gower; Chayton Bower; Tea Hoffman; Mitch Fuller; Danyal (Ben) Kephart. Great-Grandchildren Nevaeh Gower; Aidan Gower; Braylee Gower; Veda Kephart; Rhiannon Kephart, Her sister Donna (Don) Burt. Her brother Delbert (Francie) Larsen.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Elizabeth Hanlon Johnson and Abe Larsen; her in-laws, Darlene Bower-Kushman and Donald Bower; her brother, Dale Larsen; her sister, Darlene Kaiser Tullar; and her grandson, Blake Gower.

Please join us in celebrating Dee's life at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, at West Whitlock Bay in Gettysburg.