Roberta R. Bowlen, 74, of Blue Springs, Missouri, passed away Thursday, August 6, 2015 at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Blue Springs. Services will be held Monday, August 10th at Royer-Hays Funeral Home, Blue Springs, with visitation at 10:00 a.m. and funeral at 11:00 a.m. Graveside services will follow at 1:00 p.m. in Missouri State Veterans Cemetery, Higginsville, MO.
Roberta was born May 1, 1941, in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Bert and Wanda M. (Edwards) Cullen. She graduated from Paseo High School. As a teenager, Roberta joined the Episcopal Church and sang in the choir. She married Don Bowlen in 1980, and was a devoted homemaker and wife for almost 35 years. Don says, “A lot of people lost money on us…they didn’t think we would make it this long!” Whatever creative venture she pursued, she dived into whole-heartedly, and if you were her friend, you were her best friend. Roberta surrounded herself with great music (appreciating opera), lovely things, plants and flowers, and at least one beloved dog at all times. She especially enjoyed trips to Las Vegas with her son, Christopher. Don and Roberta were always on a quest for excellent food, and enjoyed eating out together often. Roberta was an expert cook and was always improving her skill. She was a prolific quilt artist, creating her own designs that were distinctly hers. Friends, neighbors, and family all benefitted from her generosity with her quilting and cooking skills. Pork chops with cheese potatoes, and chocolate cheesecake were most often requested by her family. Gracious, loving, intelligent, fair, and opinionated at times, you always knew where she stood on the issues. And she insisted on only Quik Trip ice in the water bottle constantly at her side. Such an extraordinary woman will be sorely missed by her family and friends.
Roberta is preceded in death by her parents and one son, Patrick. Her survivors include her beloved husband, Don Bowlen; sons, Christopher and Derek Rushing; sister, Sharon Tsukiyama; brother, Ron Cullen; stepdaughters, Dana Bowlen, Donna Haden, and Deana (Steven) Hicks; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors.
Arrangements: Royer-Hays Funeral Home, Blue Springs, MO 816-229-5551