Bower, Marilyn Betty 1921-2013

BOWER, WESTBO, SCHUMACHER, BROMS, LORENZEN, ERTZINGER, COX

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/11/2026 at 13:39:15

Marilyn Betty Bower
Des Moines
1921-2013

Marilyn Betty Bower, age 92, past from this life to join her Lord on Dec 8th, 2013.

Marilyn was the second of five children born to Samuel and Lillian Westbo in Clinton, IA. Born May 17, 1921 she was of the greatest generation. She married Howard Bower on December 25, 1942.

During WW II Marilyn served with the Civilian Women's Defense Corp and was one of five women selected by the US Defense Department to assemble the military warheads for the B29 bombs. Marilyn touched the lives of many throughout her long and well lived life.

Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents, husband, her sisters Marjorie Westbo, Jean Schumacher and brother Larry Westbo. She is succeeded by her beloved family, brother Norman Richard Westbo, Lodi, CA; daughter, Carol Bower Broms and her husband Stuart Broms ; grandsons Brett Lorenzen, Jeffrey Lorenzen both of Des Moines and Matthew Ertzinger of Marcellus, NY. She was the loving great-grandmother of Cecile and Emmett Lorenzen, Des Moines; Beckett Ertzinger, Marcellus, NY; and Marcus Cox, Ocean Ridge, FL. Please join us on January 15th for a celebration of her life 1:00 pm at 3801 Grand Avenue, DSM.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by the Des Moines (IA) Register on Jan. 05, 2014.