Jolene Marie Bowen

Jolene Marie Bowen, 65, of Champaign passed away peacefully at home on November 15, 2025.

Born on July 15, 1960, in Watseka, Illinois, Jolene was the beloved daughter of Jean Marie and Charles Barnlund. She grew up surrounded by friends and family in Watseka and carried that deep sense of connection throughout her life.

Jolene graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Just months later, on December 26, 1982, she married the love of her life, Roger Bowen, in her hometown of Watseka. Together they built a life rich in devotion, laughter, and family. Jolene and her family have been long time parishioners at Saint Matthew Catholic Church in Champaign.  

Jolene began her local nursing career on the 6th floor of Provena Covenant Hospital. She later found her calling in infection prevention, serving as an Infection Preventionist at OSF Health Care. She was a long-standing board member, and former president, of the Central Illinois APIC chapter. Her commitment, leadership, and expertise were recognized by her colleagues and the health communities she supported.

She was an early riser who loved her quiet morning ritual: the treadmill followed by a pot of coffee and the daily challenge of the Jumble, Sudoku, Wordle, and the New York Times crossword puzzle. Jolene enjoyed cooking for those she loved and sharing recipes she curated from the many cookbooks that filled her pantry. From the Rockies to Tuscany, she enjoyed traveling with her family, collecting memories. Her laugh and sense of humor was infectious. She enjoyed sharing her enthusiasm for Star Wars, Survivor, remote Yellowstone geyser viewing, and group jigsaw puzzle assembly. 

Above all, family was Jolene’s greatest joy, especially her role as “Mimi” to her granddaughters, Leah Nicole and Callie Marie Campbell, who brought youthful light to her life.
Jolene is survived by her husband, Roger; their children, Drew Bowen and Katherine Marie Campbell and her husband Daniel; her granddaughters, Leah and Callie; her sister, Beth Barnlund of Roeland Park, Kansas; and her brother, James Barnlund and his wife Holly of Plainfield, Illinois.

She was preceded in death by her brother Steve Barnlund; her parents, Jean Marie and Charles Barnlund; her maternal grandparents, James and Marie Rhoades; and her paternal grandparents, Carolyn Lindgren and Wilbur Barnlund.

Jolene will be remembered for her warmth, her strength, her drive, her integrity, and her unwavering love for family.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to  the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen. Visitation will be at Owens Funeral Home in Champaign on Wednesday November 19, 2025 from 4 to 6 p.m. There will be a funeral mass on Thursday November 20, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Champaign. Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Cemetery.  
 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jolene Marie Bowen, please visit our floral store.