Our dear mother, Barbara Katherine Munroe Bowen, peacefully passed away in the early morning on January 13, 2025. Barbara was born January 22, 1933 in Provo, Utah to Emily Hanson Munroe and Albert Chester Munroe. Her father died when Barbara was just four years old. She was raised by her hard-working mother who provided for her only child, the best she could, during the difficult years of the Great Depression and World War II.

Barbara attended Provo schools, graduating from Provo High School in 1951, and later, Brigham Young University, where she enjoyed attending classes and other school-sponsored activities with many of her friends. While taking a bowling class held at Regal Lanes near campus, she met our dad, John Marlo Bowen. They fell in love and were married, for time and all eternity, in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 14, 1954. They later moved to Southern California where they lived in Arcadia and then Azusa for 47 years before moving to Orem, Utah to be closer to family.

Throughout her life, Barbara worked hard to make ends meet and to help Dad beautify their home. She was a loved and valued employee and found great satisfaction in a job well done. She cherished her friendships over the years and was so grateful for the good people who were part of her life.

Barbara served in many church callings in her life and especially enjoyed working with children and youth. One of her favorite callings was bringing to life the stories from "The Friend" magazine for the Primary children who referred to her as "Sister Friendly." She and Dad served an at-home mission for the church as housing coordinators for the California Arcadia Mission.

Barbara is preceded in death by her parents and her dear husband who passed away almost a decade ago. We are happy they got to spend their 71st anniversary together the day after she passed away. She is survived by their three children: Kathy [Dave] Enos, John [Miriam] Bowen, and Lisa [Jason] Baldwin, twelve wonderful grandchildren whom she loved and supported in their interests and activities, and nineteen great-grandchildren whom she adored, with more beautiful spirits yet to come.

We want to thank Sara and Donna with Utah Home Health and Hospice and the employees at Courtyard at Jamestown for their kind and loving care of Barbara in her last years and months. Her friendships there made her loneliness for Dad more bearable.

Her funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 24, 2025, at Walker Sanderson Funeral Home, 646 E 800 N, Orem, UT with a viewing at the same location from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. the same day. Interment will be at the Orem City Cemetery.

to view the services online for Barbara please click this link. https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTczNzA0MzY0MzM0NTc2OCZvbmVyb29tLWFkbWluJmNvcHlfbGluaw==