Iris Marie Younkin, 94, passed away on November 29th at Heritage Estates. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Gering, NE, with Pastor Richard Neugebauer officiating. Visitation and prayer service will be held Monday, December 5 from 6-8 p.m. at Bridgman Funeral Home in Scottsbluff. Memorials may be made to Faith Lutheran Church or Regional West Hospice. Online condolences may be made by viewing Iris’s memorial page at www.bridgmanfunealhome.com. Bridgman Family Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
Iris Marie Younkin was born September 26, 1928, to Glenn Younkin and Alice (McLaughlin) Younkin in Alliance, NE and grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska. She often spoke of different ranches and ranch life in general.
Iris attended the University of Nebraska School of Agriculture in Curtis, NE in 1946. She married Robert Schmidt in June of 1947 and together they had five boys, Roger, Richard (Dick), Loren, Glenn and Rex. Later Iris attended nursing school at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, CO and worked in a variety of nursing roles for many years.
She later married Loren Bowman and together they farmed north of Broadwater, NE. In recent years Iris lived in Gering and finally at Heritage Estates.
Iris is survived by sons Roger (Mary) Schmidt, Loren (Linda) Schmidt, Glenn Schmidt; brother Dave Younkin and special niece Glenda (Rod) Ehler; grandchildren, Troy (Katie) Schmidt, Kelly Schmidt, Josh Schmidt, Jared Schmidt, Skylure Schmidt Underhill, and Honor Schmidt; and eleven great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Alice Younkin, sons, Richard Schmidt and Rex Schmidt, siblings, Verne Knapp and wife Iris, Florence May Varley, Charlie Younkin and wife Wilma.
The family expresses a special thank you to the caring staff at Heritage Estates and Regional West Hospice.