February 8, 1946 ~ August 27, 2023

Michael R. Bowman, 77, of Central City died on Sunday, August 27, 2023 at Merrick Medical Center in Central City. Memorial services will be held on Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Solt-Wagner Funeral Home in Central City with Pastor Mark Hartley officiating. Burial of ashes will be held at the Bruning Public Cemetery on Thursday, August 31st at 3:30 p.m.

Memorials are suggested to the Nebraska Children’s Home. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.soltwagnerfuneral.com.

Michael Ray Bowman was born February 8, 1946 in Geneva to Irvin Diedrich Bowman and Rosetta Marie Voss Bowman. He was baptized March 10, 1946 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bruning. Mike spent his childhood in the Bruning area, first on a farm and later in the town of Bruning. He attended Country School at District 19 near the Bruning area along with his older sister Shirley. When the country school closed he attended Bruning Public School and graduated with the class of 1963.

He entered the US Army in 1965 spending time in San Antonio, Texas then was stationed in Muenchweler Germany. Mike always hated the water and had to go to Germany by way of ship. He stated “I went straight to the sick bay and became their medic as it was in the lowest area I could go with no view of the water.” He left the Army in 1968. After returning to the states he worked in various jobs and became a lab technician at Warren Memorial Hospital in Friend. In Friend he met Kathy Watmore who was a nurse at the hospital where he became the administrator in 1976. Mike and Kathy married on October 1, 1977 in Geneva and they had a son Joseph. In November 1987 they moved to Central City where Mike was the administrator of the hospital until his retirement in 2011.

Mike was always the life of a party and never met a stranger. Even at a young age he began playing the trumpet in the Glenn James Orchestra band in Bruning. He always had a story or joke to share and loved to make others laugh. Even in his high school yearbook the quote by his picture was “When mischief is brewing, he is doing the stirring”.

Mike was very active in the American Legion, Community Theatre, and various city and hospital organizations.

Mike is survived by his wife Kathy of Central City and son Joe of Omaha. Brother and sister- inlaw Mike and Sandy Watmore of Denton and Mark and Terry of Detroit, Michigan. Nieces and Nephews, great nieces and nephews and great great nephews.

Mike is preceded in death by his parents, in- laws Bill and Mona Watmore, sister Shirley Baker and brother- in – law Dean Baker.