Obituaries / LJWorld.com

Obituaries

Memorial services for Wilma Louise Bowline, 78, Lawrence, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church.
Mrs. Bowline died Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital following a 20-year battle with scleroderma, though for most of those years she was productive and active.
She was born Jan. 13, 1932, in Maywood, Ill., the daughter of William F. and Helen Anna Forst Haack. She graduated from Proviso Township High School in Maywood in 1946. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Ottawa University in education and a master’s degree in speech, language, and hearing from Kansas University. She moved to Lawrence in 1962 from Ottawa.
In her early years, Mrs. Bowline taught public elementary school for two years, and later worked in the public schools as a speech clinician. She then taught speech pathology at KU for 23 years.
She was a leader for many years at the First Baptist Church, where she was the chairperson of the Worship Division, served on the Church Executive Council, and served as chairperson of the building council that planned the building of the current First Baptist Church. She recently was a member of Faith Circle and an original member of Sojourners Sunday school class.
Mrs. Bowline enjoyed and was a supporter of both community and university concerts and theater. She was a past member of the FROTH Board, a supporting group for University Theatre, and was a past volunteer at the Spencer Museum of Art and the Lawrence Visitors Center. She was involved in University Women’s Club, Endacott Society, HZ Chapter of P.E.O., and she also enjoyed participating in two book clubs, a therapeutic water exercise class and the New Generation Society of Lawrence.
She married Robert Elden Bowline on June 1, 1953, in Ottawa. He survives, of the home.
Other survivors include two sons, Michael Bowline and wife Julie, Denver, and David Bowline, Elizabeth, N.J.; a daughter, Nancy Luber and husband Jeff, Olathe; and five grandchildren, Rachel, Cory, Sarah and Ukiah Bowline, and Derek Luber.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Ruth Cook.
The family will receive friends following the service at the church.
The family suggests memorials to the First Baptist Church, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Ind., Lawrence, KS 66044.
Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.