- Edward Bouwman was born Sept. 12, 1947, to Ed and Sarah (Boom) Bouwman in Rock Rapids, Iowa. He attended school in Lester, Iowa, until 1955, when he moved to Garretson, S.D. There he attended country school and graduated from Garretson High School in 1965. From 1970 to 1972 he served in the U.S. Army. In 1974 he graduated from the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D., with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.
On Aug. 19, 1978, he married Sharon Smith in Roseville. After their marriage he worked for Target Corporation as an auditor until 1979. The couple then moved to Garretson to farm. In 1986 they moved to Luverne where he began working for Farm Credit Services. He also worked at various branches in West Palm Beach, Fla., Worthington, and in Plymouth, Wis., until 1992. He then joined First Farmers and Merchants Bank in Luverne as a loan officer. Ten years later he became the vice president of Merchants Bank in Cannon Falls. Following his retirement in August 2008, the couple moved to Brandon. On Feb. 10, 2009, he was diagnosed with renal cell cancer.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Luverne. He was also a member of the Garretson Legion. He served as president of the Luverne Hockey Association and volunteered as an EMT in Cannon Falls. He enjoyed traveling and camping.
Mr. Bouwman is survived by his wife, Sharon Bouwman, Brandon; three children, Lindsay (Barry) Knudson, Farmington, Edward Bouwman, Sioux Falls, and Tom Bouwman, Raleigh, N.C.; one grandson; a brother-in-law, Jim Smith, Minneapolis; and many other relatives and friends.
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