Lloyd Elmer Dowhower, age 95, of North Platte, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, April 28, 2018.
Lloyd was born January 30, 1923, to Elmer Albert and Alice Hattie (Stoddard) Dowhower in North Platte where he grew up. He graduated from high school in 1940.
Lloyd was united in marriage to Florence Erma Payne and they made their home in North Platte. The couple raised three children and were married for 67 years when Erma passed away in 2007.
Lloyd was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1945 and served in the occupation forces in Japan following World War II. After his discharge in 1946, he returned to North Platte and hired on with the Union Pacific Railroad as a Machinist. Lloyd worked for 43 years and especially enjoyed working in the air room and teaching apprentices.
He was an active member of the Restoration Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ and was blessed that members of his congregation were so helpful in his final years.
Lloyd enjoyed helping others, especially when it had to do with mechanical things. He also liked camping, motorcycling, boating and traveling (the mountains were his favorite place) and got a kick out of entertaining people with well-told, mostly true stories. Lloyd loved his family and he loved God.
He is survived by his children, Janet (Robert) Webster, of Solon, IA, Alan (Johnita) Dowhower, of Sibley, MO, and Kerby (Trudy) Dowhower, of Independence, MO; 9 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 4 great great-grandchildren; sister, Florence Ziarko, of Byron, NY; brother, Virgil Dowhower, of Eugene, OR; sisters-in-law, Jean Dowhower, of Lemoyne, NE, and Cecelia Dowhower, of Marlow, OK; and other family.
Along with his wife, Erma, Lloyd was preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Alice; sister, Alice Violet Grim; brothers, Raymond, Dennis, Albert and Donald; sisters-in-law, Lorraine, Betty, Barbara, Beverly and Dolly Dowhower, Irene Peterson and Faye Crozier; brothers-in-law, John Ziarko and Gerald Grim; and grandsons, Neal and Jacob.
Cremation was chosen. Memorial Service will be 10 a.m. Friday, June 22, 2018, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore with Norm Morash and Wayne Godfrey officiating. Inurnment with military honors will follow in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the church. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements.