Olga Berniece Bowen

PEORIA - Olga Berniece Bowen, 92, of Peoria died at her residence at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006.

Born Feb. 8, 1914, in Bloomington, a daughter of Elmer and Daisy Newsom Moreland, she married Orville B. Bowen on April 24, 1933, in Mount Sterling. He died in Peoria on Feb. 9, 1975.

She also was preceded in death by one son, Larry, in 1940; two sisters; and one brother.

Surviving are six daughters, Judith (and Roy) Gargus, Marilyn (and Pat) Weitzel and Carol (and Wayne) Otten, all of Peoria, Donna (and Tony) Sobczak of Memphis, Tenn., Marsha (and David) Tindell of Coral Springs, Fla., and Randi (and Tim) Moody of Marquette Heights; one son, Kenneth (and Mary) Bowen of Peoria; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Audrey David of Eldorado, Okla., and Sybil Duncan of El Paso, Ill.; and one brother, Kenneth (and Lucille) Moreland of Clever, Mo.

She attended Northside Church of the Nazarene in Peoria and also was a member of the Red Hat Society.

Berniece was an expert homemaker and loved to cook and bake for her family. She loved reading and doing word puzzles and was a wonderful storyteller.

She was well-loved by her family and all who knew her. Her home was always the center of family activities.

In her final years, Berniece's caregivers were her daughters, Carol Otten, Marilyn Weitzel and Randi Moody; a granddaughter, Angela Voss; and Mary Beasley.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2006, at Wilton Mortuary in Peoria. The Rev. Mary Jo Zacher will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the mortuary, with a rosary service at 8 p.m. Burial committal services will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Hersman Cemetery in Hersman, Ill.

Memorials may be made to the Arthritis Foundation or to OSF Hospice.