Bernadine Marie (Boyles) Gower went home to be with her Lord, Jesus Christ on April 8, 2024. She was born in Springdale, Stevens County, Washington, USA on August 13, 1924, and raised on the Boyles Family Homestead. As the youngest daughter of Edward Everett Boyles and Mary Elizabeth (Wells) Boyles, she was raised with six other siblings to love Jesus and her family. When Bernadine was eighteen years old, she was visiting with a sister in Seattle and was talked into applying with Boeing (although she did not want the job, the recruiter said “it will be good practice”) for a job building B-17s late in 1942, they put her on the line that same hour. This would alter the trajectory of her life, as this is where she met, and subsequently married her husband of sixty-four years, Laurence “Larry” Eugene Gower in February of 1944. The first of their six children was born in November 1944. After World War 2 they moved to Springdale subsequently adding three more children to their family. After several years they migrated to Richland, Washington in 1955, then added two more children, and Bernadine spent the remainder of her life being a mother and homemaker, eventually grandmother, and great-grandmother.
She and Larry were active in both square dancing and round dancing until Larry was unable to drive. While her children were in school, she was active in the local PTA and School Board Advisory Committee. Along life’s journey she earned an associate degree from Columbia Basin College. Bernadine enjoyed genealogy research and traced her lineage back to both the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Mayflower Society. She took great joy in her flower garden in front of her home and kept it tended during the spring and summer. Bernadine was an active member in TOPS for weight loss. Her church community was Central United Protestant Church, where she had many friends with a common faith in Jesus Christ. She also had many friends in the community and would happily chat for hours with friends both old and new. She endeavored to remain in touch with the many cousins, nieces, nephews, and other extended family. Bernadine treasured all the visits and phone calls that had been made over the years and was grateful for all of them. Her smile would light up the room when she would point out her family photo “wall of all of her greats.” She often marveled that her life was so very blessed.
Bernadine was preceded in death by her parents Edward Everett Boyles and Mary Elizabeth (Wells) Boyles, her husband Laurence Eugene Gower, her siblings: Merton Berle Boyles, Leonard Theodore Boyles, Leland Arden Boyles, Edward Eugene Boyles, Sylvia “June” (Boyles) Riggs and Donna Elizabeth (Boyles) Bean, son-in-law: Wayne Farmer, daughter-in-law: Melanie Orgill, and her great-granddaughter Victoria Todd.
Bernadine is survived by her children: John Gower (Steve Rosier), Gary Gower (Gloria Brosnan), Nancy Gower (Gary Hulse), Wendy Gower, Fred Gower (Victoria Goods), Gene Gower; her grandchildren: Morgan Gower (Ross Flaharty), Julia Gower (Saman Bravo Karimi), Rudolf Hulse (Heather Kolowinski), Linea Hulse (Brian Smedile), Dawn Gower (David Todd), Charlotte Gower (Braden Sawyers), Christine Gower (Trace McMasters), Kelsey Gower (Alex Echtle), Alexis Gower (Cody Nesbitt); her great-grandchildren: Selena Smedile, William Gower, Max Gower, Josephine Gower, Joaquin Bravo-Gower, Enrique Bravo-Gower, Stella Sawyers, Greyson Sawyers, James McMasters, Adelle Todd, Aurora Todd, Edward Echtle, Melanie Puett-Gower, and Lily Nesbitt.
Laurence and Bernadine will be interred at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Richland, Washington. On the north-east side of the Lake, in plot 42.
Bernadine’s celebration of life will be on Monday, May 20th, 2024, at 10:00 am at Central United Protestant Church, 1124 Stevens Drive in Richland. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her honor to the Tri-City Chaplaincy.