Elinor (Ellie) Mae Bowles passed away on April 4, 2026, at the age of 93. She was preceded in death by her husband, Duain Bowles, in 1992 and her granddaughter, Erica Bowles, in 2021.
Ellie was born May 10, 1932, the third of four daughters born to Adeline and Samuel Rawe, where she was raised on the family farm in Nashua, Montana. Ellie and Duain were married in 1950 in Glasgow and promptly moved to Denver where Duain went to school. There, they welcomed their first child, Cindy Bowles, in 1952. They moved back to Glasgow, where their sons Steve, Paul, and Tom were born in short order. After a brief sojourn in Ogden, Utah, the family made their permanent home in Bozeman on the south side in 1963, where Ellie lived for the rest of her life. She always took great pride in her home and her garden, producing an array of gorgeous flowers and vegetables in the warm months of the year. She worked as a nurse for gynecologist, Dr. Fisher, for nearly a decade, which was also a source of pride and accomplishment for her.
Ellie attended Peace of Christ Community Church (formerly First Baptist Church) for several decades and was a devoted member of the congregation; the annual Women’s Christmas Blessing was a particular highlight for her. She was also a longtime volunteer at the Gallatin History Museum, enjoyed floating the Madison and Yellowstone rivers in the summertime, and had family barbecues in the backyard. Ellie was a talented seamstress, made excellent pickled green beans, and fine strawberry rhubarb pie. As a child of the Great Depression, Ellie was always thrifty and practical, but she enjoyed good chocolate, a gin and tonic on a hot day, and getting her hair done regularly. She also had an appreciation for witty, slightly off-color jokes, which she liked to collect and share.
Ellie is survived by her sister, Joyce Hill of Glasgow, Montana; her children and their spouses, Cindy and Andy Nobbs, Steve and Susie Bowles, Paul Bowles and Stacy Rye, Tom Bowles and Robyn Klein; her grandchildren, Stacy Stenzel and her husband Tyson Stenzel, Kari Bowles, Michael Bowles, and Elizabeth Bowles; and five great children, Cyrus and Aurora Stenzel, Duane and Coraline Stenzel, and Dexter Williams.
The family also wishes to thank her neighbors, Mary and Doug, Brookdale Spring Meadows Senior Living, and Big Sky Home Health and Hospice for their assistance in the last few months.
A service will be held at Peace of Christ Community Church and will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
