Dawn Marie Bowker, 27

'The Lord smiled on the morning of Oct. 26, 2006, and said welcome home, to Dawn Marie Bowker.' She will deeply missed by her friends and family. She was born on May 3, 1979, at Steamboat Springs, Colo., the daughter of M. Dean and Irene M. (Fasse) Bowker.

Dawn's family and friends wish to remember her by her enjoyment of skiing, mountain biking, hiking and backpacking, fishing, music, reading, children and the elderly, sports, teaching, crocheting, baking (especially pies), cooking and by her passion for Jesus and sharing her faith with others.

Dawn received her education in Kalispell and graduated from Flathead Christian School (now Stillwater Christian School). She received a B.A. in Education from Montana State University in Bozeman in 2003. She was currently teaching sixth-grade math and physical education at Somers Middle School in Somers, Mont.

Dawn was preceded in death by her grandfather, Raymond G. Fasse, and grandparents, L. Monte and Jean Bowker.

Survivors include her mother, Irene Bowker, of Bigfork; her father, M. Dean Bowker, of Missoula; two brothers, Joshua Bowker of Bigfork, and Mark Bowker and his wife, Emily, of Monument, Colo.; sister, Lori Sugimoto, and husband, Andrew, and nephew Tyler of Chula Vista, Calif.; maternal grandmother, Mary Edith Fasse, of Spencer, Iowa; and aunts and uncles, Jim and Barb Fornwall family, and Ed and Carolyn O'Donnell family, all of Wonder Lake, Ill.; Dennis and Sue Holck family of Spencer, Iowa; Ron and Karen Fasse of Loomis, Calif.; and Dale and Gail Fasse family of Winthrop, Wash.

A celebration of Dawn's life will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at the Christian Center in Kalispell. There will be no visitation. Burial will follow services at Lonepine Cemetery in Bigfork. There will be a reception after the graveside service at the Somers Middle School, where there will be displays, students showing their love and remembrances done by Dawn's students as well as Dawn's classroom.

The family suggests that any memorial contributions be sent to LitNet1, P.O. Box 913, Kalispell, MT 59903 (a literacy ministry to Uganda, Africa, where Dawn was considering serving).

Johnson Mortuary and Crematory is caring for Dawn's family.