Memorials may be directed to the Shenandoah Community Food Pantry, the Emmanuel Lutheran Church or the P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education.

Eldora Irene (Almquist) Gowing, daughter of Carl Luther Almquist and Nora Mathilda (Peterson) Almquist was born on October 13, 1917, at home on the family farm outside of Essex, Iowa.  Eldora had an active life on the farm with her parents and five siblings, brothers Wayne, Howard, John, Donavon and sister Donna Jean.  At the age of seventeen, she graduated from Essex Public School and worked for a short time at the Puritan Laundry and then May Seed & Nursery Company to earn money for college.  Eldora attended business college in Omaha, NE and then NW Missouri State College in Maryville where she earned a teaching certificate.  While at college, Eldora's mother suddenly passed away and Eldora returned home to help raise her siblings.

Eldora married her husband John Henry Gowing on August 19, 1943.  As a WWII bride, Eldora accompanied her husband to the naval base in Biloxi, MS where she worked for the Army Engineers as a jeep driver for naval officers on the base and drove a reconnaissance truck to haul supplies.  Once WWII ended, Eldora and John settled in Shenandoah, IA where they opened a plumbing business.  Eldora worked side by side with John in the family plumbing business keeping books, waiting on customers and even cutting and threading pipe.  Between helping John with the business and managing an active household of five daughters, Eldora was busy.  However, she was never too busy to make cupcakes for school activities, bake Swedish Rye Bread, or have the girls' friends over for slumber parties or to play costume dress up - it was all part of a wonderful, full life.

Eldora's faith was an integral part of her life.  She was baptized in the Fremont Mission Covenant Church and attended St. John's Lutheran Church in Essex during her childhood.  She and John were lifelong members of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Shenandoah where she was a Sunday School teacher, member of the Ladies Circle and a singer in the church choir, an activity that she greatly enjoyed.    Her love of music was a precious gift that she shared with John and the girls.

Preceding Eldora in death are her parents Carl and Nora Almquist, brothers Wayne, Howard and John Almquist, sister Donna Jean Rhoades, husband John, daughter Sally and son-in-law Charles England.

Eldora is survived by daughters Janet England, Jo Ann Weir (Bradley), Mary Beth Gowing, and Jane Gowing-Agan (Robert); two AFS "kids" Maria Wernike-Motta (Neni) and Peter Jezler; four grandchildren Eli England, Valerie England, Jeff Weir (Liz) and John Weir (Sarah); six greatgrandchildren Aidan, Avery, Abby, Lily, Bella and Eloise; brother Donavon (Jere) and numerous nieces and nephews.