Lowell Dean Bolinger, 87, of What Cheer, was born on March 16, 1939, to Rex and Austie Bolinger. He passed away on March 26, 2026, at MHP Hospital in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, from 12–7 p.m., with family present from 4–7 p.m. A private family gathering will be held at a later date. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the family.

In 1964, Dean married Charlotte, and to this marriage they welcomed a son, Mark Milligan. They later divorced. In 1972, Dean met the love of his life, Doreen Umlah, and the two were married in August of that year. Together, they built a beautiful life and raised three sons: Jason, Jeremy, and Josh.

Dean worked as a farmhand for many years before spending time at Kingsbury Homes and Amana Refrigeration. Eventually, he started his own lawn-care business, which he operated for many years until his retirement. He took great pride in hard work and in serving his community.

Dean was a storyteller at heart. No matter how many times you heard one of his stories, it was still interesting — and he could talk for hours. He loved music and dancing, and he would dance anywhere. If there wasn't a dance floor, he simply made one.

He enjoyed fishing, camping, and riding his 4-wheeler. Every summer, he took great pride in his gardens until canning season arrived, when Doreen would recruit him into the kitchen to help prepare and preserve the harvest. He certainly enjoyed eating it all, which made the work worthwhile. While raising his boys, Dean was an avid supporter at all their activities — countless days and nights at the baseball field, in the backyard tossing a ball, attending band events, and cheering them on in everything they did.

After raising his sons, Dean entered his next great adventure: grandfatherhood. His grandsons, Zachery Dean Bolinger and Kaleb Lee Bolinger, were two of his greatest joys. Being "PA Dean" allowed him to stay young at heart — playing in the dirt, fishing, camping, riding 4-wheelers, and attending their sporting events. Even if he did come close to getting kicked out of a few baseball games… right, Zachery and Jason.

Dean is survived by his sons Mark (Lori) Milligan of Fremont; Jason (Tiffany) Bolinger of Ottumwa; Jeremy (Tonda) Bolinger of What Cheer; and Josh (Kellie) Bolinger of Fairfield. He is also survived by his grandsons Zachery (Kelsey) Bolinger and Kaleb Bolinger, both of What Cheer; his sisters Viola Wahl, Margie Keener, Doris Bolinger, Dora Ray, and Georgia Springer; his brothers Floyd (Kay) Bolinger, Ronald (Del) Bolinger, and Melvin (Sharon) Bolinger; his sister-in-law Sandy Bolinger; and his loyal four-legged best friend, Jake.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Doreen Bolinger; his parents, Rex and Austie Bolinger; his brother Robert "Doc" Bolinger and his wife Linda; his brother Clarke Bolinger and wife Elaine; his brother Junior "Rocky" Bolinger; his mother-in-law Vera Umlah; and his brothers-in-law Dwayne Wahl, Robert Keener, Ron Ray, and Eugene Springer.

"Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I'll miss you, until we meet again."