Renate Elise Bowen, 78, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, daughter, and friend, passed away suddenly in her home on Monday, June 20, 2016.

She was born December 19, 1937, in Arnoldshof, District of Jauer, Schlesian, Germany, the daughter of Ernst Freudenberger and Hildegard Helmrich Freudenberger.

Renate met her beloved husband, Nathan C. Bowen, Jr., in Ludwigsburg, Germany in 1961, while she was a nursing student and he was a young Army career man, and married him two years later in the Ludwigsburg Palace Chapel.

Renate completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Mainz University in Mainz, Germany in 1973, and proudly worked as a nurse in a neurology clinic. She retired from Cape Fear Valley Health System in 1999 after 18 years of faithful service as a dedicated nursing assistant on the Family Centered Care Unit.

She is survived by her three loving children, Patricia Pittman (and husband Greg) of Linden, Evelyn Rhodes of Hope Mills, and Kenneth Bowen of Zebulon; grandchildren Kaylee Limbert (and husband Larry) of Greenville, Brittany Pittman, Sydney Pittman, and Landon Pittman of Linden, and Madeline Bowen of Burlington; great-grandchildren, Madison Limbert, Calob Limbert, and Michael Limbert of Greenville, and Nathan Brown of Linden; her adoring brothers, Wilfried Freudenberger (and wife Isolde) of Lobau, Germany, Joachim Freudenberger (and wife Herta) of Leopoldshafen, Germany, Gottfried Freudenberger (and wife Helga) of Neugersdorf, Germany, and Christian Freudenberger (and wife Sylvia) of Lobau, Germany; sisters-in-law Maria Freudenberger of Karlsruhe, Germany, Carol McCracken (and husband Dale) of Reidsville, Jacqueline (and husband Joe) of Bedford, Ohio, Sharon Kokoruda of Cleveland, Ohio, and Maryann Dean of Garfield Heights, Ohio, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her devoted husband SGM (Ret.) Nathan C Bowen, Jr. of fifty years, her twin sister Elke, her infant sister Christa, her brother Gunther Freudenberger of Karlsruhe, Germany, beloved Tante Selma (and husband Adam) Wittmann, cousins Hans (and wife Annemarie) Wittmann of Koln, Germany, Marianne Wittman of St. Augustin, Germany, Gerda Kunze Boerlage of Eltville, Germany, and her son-in-law David N. Rhodes II of Hope Mills.

The family will receive friends on Thursday between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home, 545 Ramsey Street, in Fayetteville. Funeral services will be held on Friday at 12 noon at Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home Chapel. The funeral procession will meet for burial at LaFayette Memorial Park West, 6701 Raeford Road, Fayetteville (across from 71st Senior High School) at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Renate's name are made to the Meals on Wheels Program at Simon Temple AME Zion Church, 5760 Yadkin Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28303 to benefit the elderly population of our community.