Ridott – Rodney L. (Rod) Bowers, 93 of Ridott passed away on Friday, December 18th of COVID 19.  He was born July 29 ^th , 1927 the son of the late Roy and Bernice (Spangler) Bowers.  He went to a one room school house at Berlin School to the 8 ^th grade.  He then went to Freeport High School and graduated in 1945.  He married Estelle McGinnis on October 26, 1949 in the Little Brown Church of Naasu, Iowa. She died in 2007.

He was a life- long farmer in the Dakota/Ridott area.  Rodney was a true survivor.  He nearly died in 1960 in a tractor accident, in which he spent a year in the hospital.  He also survived prostate and stomach cancer.  He had a strong sense of family and he loved spending time with his grandchildren and later in life he loved collecting and looking at family photos.

He is survived by his children Jeffrey (Carol) Bowers of Dakota; daughters, Cathy Hartmann of Albuquerque, NM; Laura (Peter) Kniskern of South Beloit, IL and Susan (Darin) Pitchford of Gilson, IL.  He is also survived by a brother, Don (Carolyn) Bowers of Dakota.  He has 5 grandchildren. Melissa Prochasta, Dario Hartmann, Jared Herbig, Kayla Pitchford and Alexandra Pitchford and 5 great- grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife, his daughter Paula Bowers, and his brother and sister-in-law Lorris and Helen Bowers.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.