BURDELL W. ROWE, age 95, of Luverne, died Tuesday,  February 23, 2016, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.  He was born July 30, 1920, in Little Rock Township, to William Rowe Jr. and Rhoda Larson Rowe.  He attended District 14 country school for eight years before attending Adrian Public School, where he graduated in 1939.
He was active in 4H club for many years.  In 1939, he showed the Grand Champion colt at the Minnesota State Fair and was also the Grand Champion showman.  He showed Belgian horses for many years before changing to the light horse breeds.  Horses remained a very important part of his life and business, and he went on to show Quarter and Appaloosa horses.  He was the first president of the Luverne Saddle Club, a member of the Southwest Trail Riders Association and initiated the Rock County 4H Horse Project in 1963.
After growing up on the family farm, he married Alma Heitkamp on September 7, 1943, at St. Adrian Catholic Church, in Adrian.  This marriage was blessed with two children.  Farming remained his business until 1948 when he joined the auction and sale barn business with Lloyd Long in Luverne.  He managed weekly livestock sales, farm auction, and monthly horse sales for many years.  He was an active participant in horse shows for 50 years, not only competing in them, but also as a judge and announcer.  He was an active member of St. Catherine Catholic Church where he served as a funeral usher for several years following his retirement.  He was an active member of the Luverne Senior Citizens and served on the board of directors.  He volunteered at senior dining for twenty five years.  He loved his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and took interest in them and their activities.
He is survived by his wife, Alma Rowe, Hills; son, Joe (Carrie) Rowe, Sioux Falls, SD; daughter, Shirley (Bob) Vanden Hoek, Edina; six grandchildren, Christine (Joe) Wallraf, Paul (Melissa) Vanden Hoek, Kate (Jim) Glogowski, Mary (Bob) Taylor, Megan (Luke) Morrison and Kelly (Chris) Peterson; thirteen great- grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister Etoyle (Dick) Nelson.
A time of fellowship will be from 4-8 pm Friday, with a Rosary and Prayer Service at 7:30 pm, at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne. A time of fellowship will also be one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday. A Memorial Mass will be 10:30 am Saturday at St. Catherine Catholic Church, in Luverne, officiated by Fr. Thomas Jennings. Burial of cremains will be at the St. Catherine Cemetery in Luverne.
Special thanks to the staff of Tuff Memorial Home for the loving care they provided during Dad's stay with them, to the staff of Sanford Hospice for their care and concern and to Dick Smook for his many visits during Dad's illness.

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