Mary Darline Fowler

Mary Darline (Dee) Fowler passed away peacefully on September 24, 2026, at Wesley on Grand in Des Moines after having received Apostolic Pardon from Fr. Chris Hartshorn and while praying the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet with her and our dear friend Mark Pierce. A visitation will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday October 2, 2026, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (1627 Grand Ave., West Des Moines, IA 50265). In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Dee was born on August 20, 1929, in La Grande, Oregon, the fourth of five children of George and Cecilia Fadler. She moved with her family from Oregon to Louisiana, finally settling in mid-Missouri where she attended and graduated high school In Hallsville. She met the love of her life, Guy Fowler, in Moberly where she worked as a telephone operator. They married in Moberly on July 25, 1953, and enjoyed 54 years until Guy's death in 2007. All three of their children, Cindee, Jean and Greg, were born in Missouri. In the first five years of marriage, they moved several times - Scranton, Pennsylvania, Peoria, Illinois and Kansas City, Missouri before finally settling for good in West Des Moines, Iowa when she made it clear she was "done moving." They raised their family and lived in the same house on Ashworth Road from 1962 to 2026.

Dee was a force of nature. She preferred to be outdoors in all seasons, mowing her lawn (with a push mower) and shoveling snow from her driveway and sidewalks (by hand), which she did well into her 90s. But she loved nothing better than gardening, and she worked tirelessly on her gardens. Her flowers drew regular praise from friends, family and passers-by. Tragically, these activities ended when she lost her eyesight at the age of 94. Undaunted, she continued to live on her own in her home with minimal assistance until her final illness in August of this year.

Dee also loved sports whether it was playing basketball, baseball and even hockey on the driveway or out in the yard with her kids growing up and later with her grandchildren. It is not possible to know Dee without knowing of her undying love for the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. She listened to their games on radio without fail - 162 games a year. The Iowa Hawkeyes (the basketball and football teams) were close behind the Redbirds in mom's heart.

When she wasn't with her family, she could be found at Sacred Heart Catholic Church where she was a parishioner for more than six decades and where she attended daily Mass. She led the third decade of the rosary before daily Mass with the morning rosary group for several decades. In addition to attending daily Mass and saying the rosary, she collected and counted the candle money and even helped maintain the church building and grounds. Finally, not only did she tend her flower garden beds at home, but she planted and nurtured the flower gardens "on the hill" at Sacred Heart for several decades, again drawing rave reviews.

Dee will be lovingly remembered by her children, Cindee Fowler, Greg (Laura) Fowler, Jean (Scott) Dotterer along with her six grandchildren, Chad, Andy and Molly Dotterer and Katie Sheaffer, George and Charlie Fowler and five great grandchildren, Mason, Oliver, Jack, Henry and Royer. She is survived by her beloved sister Ginny Long and her husband Bob. She was preceded in death by her husband Guy, her parents George and Cecilia Fadler, her brothers Stanley and Raymond Fadler and her sister Essie McCurdy.

We would like to specially recognize and thank the caring and loving staff at Wesley on Grand (especially Star and "Shimmy") where she spent her last days, her doctors, nurses and other caregivers at Iowa Methodist Hospital and Tonya, her wonderful home care provider with Home Care Assistance.