Vernelle Anna Bower

Vernelle Anna Bluhm was born January 19, 1919 in Nebraska to Herman William Bluhm and Anna Caroline (Rocker) Bluhm. She passed away peacefully Dec. 4, 2025, only 46 days shy of 107 years of age.
The Bluhm family farmed in eastern Nebraska, moving to eastern Colorado just before the start of the Great Depression. As a child and young woman, Vernelle lived through the Dust Bowl, coping with drought and dust storms, while attending school in a one-room school house. Later the family moved to Arkansas, where Vernelle truly felt she had come home among the hills and tall trees. It was there that she learned to play the steel (Hawaiian) guitar and gave lessons.
In the late 1930s, she was contacted by Jehovah's Witnesses, and was baptized in 1940. She enjoyed teaching the Bible to many people over the years. When her folks bought a farm in Cameron. Missouri, she found work in nearby St. Joseph to be near them. Besides giving steel guitar lessons, she worked as a photo retoucher. It was in St. Joseph that she met Clifford Bower, and they were married April 22, 1951. He preceded her in death in February 1995. Clifford and Vernelle raised three daughters to love Jehovah.
Vernelle took great pleasure in her home and family, and was an excellent home decorator and cook. Her numerous interests included photography, flower gardening, bird watching, quilt making, traveling, and music.
She is survived by her three daughters, Melissa (Dave) Adams, Melinda Hopper, and Marleah (Paul) Rodriquez; grandchildren, Eric (Raquel) Hopper, Crystal (Jeff) Seeger, Heather Hopper, Amy Kellison, Cameron (Jenny) Adams, and Rusty (Coleen) Rodriquez; great-grandchildren, Dillon (Roxanne) Woolston, Stevi (Jordan) Way, Logan (Kylie) Hopper, Wynter Rodriquez and Chazzer Kellison; one great-great grandchild, Parks Woolston; and numerous nieces and nephews, including one great-great-great niece.

She was faithful to her Creator, Jehovah God, to the end of her life, and was looking forward to the resurrection on a paradise earth.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025 at Rupp Funeral Home in St. Joseph, Mo. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. with the service at 2 p.m. Speaker will be Ray Merten. Pallbearers: Rusty Rodriquez, Dave Adams, Eric Hopper, Cameron Adams, Jeffrey Seeger, and Logan Hopper.
"You will call and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands." - Job 14:15
The family will receive friends from 1-2 pm Saturday, December 13, 2025, with funeral services starting at 2:00 pm Saturday, at the Rupp Funeral Home. Online condolence, obituary and livestream at www.ruppfuneral.com