Nancy Grace Owen, the daughter of Roscoe Paul and Hazel Leone (Jamison) Bowman, was born July 10, 1944, in Carroll, Iowa and died June 13, 2022, at the Accura Healthcare of Manning in Manning, Iowa at the age of 77 years, 11 months, and 3 days.
Nancy was baptized at the Star Methodist Church in rural Coon Rapids, Iowa and confirmed at the United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids, Iowa. She attended the Coon Rapids Community Schools graduating from the Coon Rapids High School with the Class of 1962. Nancy then attended AIB business school in Des Moines, Iowa.
On November 17, 1962, she was united in marriage to Doug Ridgeway at the United Methodist Church in Coon Rapids. They were blessed with two children DeEtte and Derek. Nancy was employed at Nile’s Chevrolet in Coon Rapids as a bookkeeper for several years before they moved to Audubon, Iowa. Nancy was a stay at home mother for a few years until the children were of school age. Also during this time she was a Census Taker. She later was a bookkeeper for Hi-Way Implement, then the Franck Brothers Plumbing and Heating until she started her employment with Cramer Insurance. Nancy first worked as a bookkeeper then studied and received her insurance license in 1983. Cramer Insurance became Nishna Valley Insurance, then later Hansen Insurance Agency.
On April 20, 1985, she married Ron Owen at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon.
The Insurance Agencies later combined and became Community Insurance Agency. Nancy continued to provided property and casualty insurance for many area residents for over 33 years until she retired in July of 2014. During retirement she volunteered for Meals on Wheels and was active in the Presbyterian Women and the Federated Women Organization.
Nancy was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon where she served as an Elder and a Deacon. She was a member of the Presbyterian Women and served as a Liturgist. Nancy had a beautiful singing voice and was a member of the Church Choir, sang solos and duets for funerals and other occasions, and was a member of “The Songsters”, a well-known singing group who traveled around the State of Iowa entertaining in many venues. Nancy loved to go on family vacations and going out to eat. But above all her passion was being with her family especially her grandchildren and participating in their many activities.
Nancy was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Karmen Grabill; her parents; her brother Jack and wife Velma Bowman; and her father-in-law Ernest Owen.
Survivors include her husband Ron Owen of Audubon, Iowa; her children DeEtte and husband Troy Grabill of Manning, Iowa and Derek and wife DarylLynn Ridgeway of John’s Island, South Carolina; her grandchildren Ben Grabill and fiancée Ashly Steffes both of Adel, Iowa, Isaac and wife Courtney Grabill and Eliza and husband Blake Cadwell all of Manning, Iowa, Richard and wife Amy Ware of Bernardsville, New Jersey, Nicole Ware of Boulder, Colorado, and Tyson Petersen of Hamlin, Iowa; her great grandchildren Madison, Wyatt, and Owen Grabill of Manning, Baby Cadwell, Genevieve Ware of Bernardsville, New Jersey and Kylie and Whitney Petersen both of Hamlin, Iowa; her sister Joan and husband Mervin Hague of Gilbertville, Iowa: her mother-in-law Alice Owen of Exira, Iowa; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
The family will meet with friends Thursday evening, June 16, 2022, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. Funeral services will be conducted by Reverend Philip Beisswenger on Friday morning, June 17, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Audubon, Iowa. Interment will be in the Arlington Heights Cemetery in Audubon. The casket bearers will be Isaac Grabill, Ben Grabill, Blake Cadwell, Cass Muzney, David Walters, and David Lake.
