Marles Yvonne Rowley
Marles Yvonne Rowley was born Dec. 3, 1938 in Imperial, Nebraska to Clyde and Beulah (Einspahr) Purdy. The oldest of four children, she grew up and attended school in Wauneta.
On Sept. 11, 1954, she married Melvin K. Rowley in Holyoke, Colorado. To this union they were blessed with six children. They resided in Chase County, Nebraska until 1984. While living in Nebraska, she worked for the Chase County Sheriff’s office and Chase County Hospital. In 1984, Melvin and Marles moved to Kansas. Marles worked several jobs and continued her education by getting her GED and attending classes at Colby Community College. Marles then moved on to continue her love of cooking, by managing restaurants in Grainfield and Herndon, Kansas as well as Wauneta, Nebraska. She was well known for her fried chicken, chicken fried steaks, dinner rolls and pies, but none of them measured up to her cinnamon rolls; in fact, when she was summoned for grandma duty, there was an unwritten rule that she had to bring her mixer to make cinnamon rolls.
While living in Colby, Kansas she took pastoral classes, which she used to support others in their spiritual walk.
After retirement in 2011, Marles moved to Grove, Oklahoma with her daughter Jodie until 2013. She then moved to Ogallala, Nebraska with her daughter Tammi until 2015, when they moved to Spring Hill, Florida, residing there until the time of her death.
Marles also loved to sew for her family and friends. She would spend hours sewing wedding dresses for the bride, bridesmaids, flower girl, prom dresses, and school clothes. At the beginning of the Covid pandemic, Marles saw the need for masks and sewed hundreds of masks that she donated to an elementary school and family. She also had a talent for baking, decorating cakes and quilting for family and friends.
Marles also had a love for long drives in the country, gardening, canning, watching birds outside her window, and listening to Christian music.
Marles was called to her heavenly home on Aug. 10, 2022 at age 83.
Marles was preceded in death by her husband Melvin; parents Clyde and Beulah Purdy; brother Gary Purdy and wife Doreen; and granddaughter Katie Rowley.
Marles is survived by son Terry Rowley (Sandy Letson) of Albany, Oregon; son Tim (Pam) Rowley of Grant; daughter Tammi (John) Cash of Spring Hill, Florida; daughter Jolene (Dan) Stephenson of Branson, Missouri; daughter Jodie Touslee and friend Larry of Hays, Kansas; son Jeff Rowley of Wichita, Kansas; brothers Jerry (Tina) Purdy of Imperial and Ron (Sherie) Purdy of Ogallala; grandchildren Sam Rowley, Angela (Eric) Reamer, Joshua (Hannah) Schmidt, Jason Schmidt, Jacob Stephenson, Elizabeth Touslee, Ryan Touslee, Kori Rowley, Kade Rowley; great-granddaughter Ellysan Reamer; and many other relatives and friends.
Graveside services will be held Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, 10:30 a.m. at Mount Hope Cemetery, Imperial, Nebraska.
Online condolences may be left at liewerfuneralhome.com.
Liewer Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.