03/09/2026
Judith Bower
Judith Ann (Dunbar) Bower 79, of Mount Pleasant, passed away peacefully on Monday, March 9, 2026, from Congestive Heart Failure and CIDP at Sunrise Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Winfield.
Judy was born on April 12, 1946, in the Washington Community Hospital in Washington, Iowa, the daughter of Dale and Maurine (Sheets) Dunbar. She attended Keota grade school until the fifth grade, where the family lived in Keokuk County, Clear Creek Township, south of Keota 5 miles, then ½ mile East of Talleyrand.
The family moved to a farm in Jefferson County, southeast of Fairfield, south of the Mt. Zion grade school. She attended 6th grade in Mt Zion, one room school, it was then when Jefferson County consolidated the schools that she then attended Lockridge for Jr. High school. Judy attended and graduated from Fairfield High school with the Class of 1964. She then briefly attended Northeast Missouri State University, Kirksville, MO.
After graduation she was employed with H&R Block for a tax season. She then went to work for the Henry County Savings Bank and US Bank for 25 dedicated years of employment in the bookkeeping department and retired as supervisor in that area after the computers took over their jobs.
She later worked at Heatilator in Mount Pleasant as an engineer’s secretary for a short time. Judy then worked as a case manager for Henry County Attorney, Mike Reipe’s office, for 13 years, before retiring.
Judy and Ben met in the 7th grade and had mutual friends. They enjoyed lots of activities together like school dances, movie dates, pizza dates, miniature golf and bowling. She was engaged to Ben in 1966, prior to Ben’s Naval service and after Ben’s discharge from the Navy, they married at the First United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant on June 30, 1970.
Judy enjoyed refinishing furniture, and canning fruits and vegetables from their gardens. She was a seamstress and sewed her own wedding gown and bridesmaids’ dresses. Judy also designed and sewed show gowns for Sweet Adelines competition. Judy sang in the Southeast Iowa Sweet Adelines Choir Group from 1968-1988, with weekly practice sessions and with yearly competitions in the Midwest. She sang with the Mount Pleasant Choral from 1999-2019, and the Iowa Wesleyan College Vocal group and toured with them in Italy, in 2010. Judy also sang with the local Acapella Group. She always sang with the Church Choir and Bell Choir and was an accomplished piano and flute player. She was an avid reader and a firm believer that she would not go anywhere without a book. She enjoyed word puzzle books and going out to eat with family and friends.
After starting married life and living in Mount Pleasant, Judy and Ben built their first home northwest of Salem on a 30-acre timber plot and lived there 12 years. They moved and remodeled a home in West Point, where they lived there for 14 years. The couple then built a home in Mount Pleasant where they currently reside.
Judy and Ben had many interests. Spending time with friends and family. Among them was traveling. Trips to Colorado to their condo twice a year, summer and fall and seeing the shows in Branson, MO. Trips in the late winter to visit Judy’s brother and sister in California, with stops in Arizona to visit cousins and friends. They also returned to Seattle and Pacific Beach, WA, and Port Hueneme, CA, to visit Ben’s Navy Seabee museums and attend reunions. The couple traveled in all 50 states and some many times over. They cruised to Alaska, flew to the Arctic Circle and once drove to Alaska via Canada & the Yukon on the Alcan highway and drove the entire loop in Alaska (From Tok, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, Wasilla, Valdez and back to Tok to Yukon and Canada). Vacationed in Hawaii, Bahamas, Germany, Italy and Austria.
Judy was proud of her Scottish Heritage. Attended Scottish Games in Vermont and Iowa with family. She enjoyed reading her brother Lyle’s writing and books on the history of the Dunbar Clan.
Surviving is her grade school sweetheart and loving husband of 55 years, Ben of Mount Pleasant. Brothers: Dennis Dunbar of Muscatine, IA.; Lyle (Ann) Dunbar of San Diego, CA; and John (Angie) Dunbar of Fairfield, IA.; Sisters-in-law Melissa Olson of Urbandale, IA, and Karen Bower of Mount Pleasant; many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Preceding her in death are her parents Dale (1992) and Maurine (2010) “Sheets” Dunbar, a sister Linda Appleby (2017), of Colvis, CA., brother-in-law, Tim Bower (2025) of Stockport, IA., sister-in-law Betty Dunbar (2025).
Judy deeply appreciated all the compassionate care she received from the entire staff and Poppy, while she was at Sunrise Terrace Care Center in Winfield, whose kindness and support meant a great deal to Judy and her family. Also, all those who visited her while she was in Hospice.
Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2026, at Olson-Yoder Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant, where the family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m. Funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the First United Methodist Church, with the Reverend Court Fisher officiating. Burial will be in the Glasgow Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established for the Glasgow Cemetery and the First United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home is caring for Judy and her family. www.olsonyoderfh.com
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