PAWNEE ROCK — Carole Lee Bowman, 87, passed away on Aug. 21, 2026, at Diversicare of Larned Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Larned, Kan. She was born on Dec. 5, 1938, in Great Bend, Kan., to Rev. Galen Wesley and Doris E. (Nairn) Unruh. On June 22, 1957, she married Howard Bowman at New Jerusalem Church in Pawnee Rock, Kan.

A lifelong Pawnee Rock resident, Carole cherished the friendships and close sense of community found in small-town life. She was a devoted member of the New Jerusalem Church in Pawnee Rock, which her great-grandfather helped establish and pastored, and where her father later served as pastor. Proud of her family heritage, she valued its ties to the church and the Pawnee Rock State Historic Site. Her life was centered on family and community, from caring for her nephews when they were young to spending many years preparing meals for the Pawnee Rock school system. She also enjoyed supporting her children and grandchildren in their activities, whether close to home or far away. Carole loved gardening, knitting, sewing, cheering for Kansas Jayhawks basketball, and following Los Angeles Dodgers baseball.

Carole is survived by her husband, Howard, of the home; her son, Rob Bowman and his wife, Kelly, of Great Bend; her daughter, Gay Beth Bingham and her husband, Carl, of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; six grandchildren, Brittany Sandstrom and her husband, John, of Emporia, Kan., Kristan Nelson and her husband, Tyler, of Plainville, Kan., Jace Bowman and his wife, Morgan, of Shawnee, Kan., Kelsey Dowell and her husband, Ryan, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Courtney Wolfe and her husband, Rob, of Aurora, Colo., and Lindsey Bingham and her fiancé, Mathew Gorman, of Overland Park, Kan.; five great-grandchildren, Khloe Nelson, Tabor Nelson, Tayson Nelson, Will Bowman, and Harper Dowell; her brother, Stanley Unruh of San Antonio, Texas; and her sister, Sharon Billings of Royal Oak, Mich. She was preceded in death by her son, David Bowman; her brother, Stephen Unruh; and her sister, Janice Beougher.

Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend, Kan., with the family receiving friends from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 31, at New Jerusalem Church in Pawnee Rock, with Rev. Kit Billings presiding. Interment will follow at Pawnee Rock Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Great Bend Senior Center or the Golden Belt Humane Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Rd., Great Bend, KS 67530. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.

Funeral arrangements provided by

Bryant Funeral Home

1425 Patton Road

Great Bend, KS 67530

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Aug. 25, 2026