Ralph Gerald Rowden, 88, died at 9:52 p.m. Monday, November 13, 2023, at Alton Memorial Hospital. Born Sept. 3, 1935, in Alton, he was the son of Frank and Dorothy Belle (Bryant) Rowden.
Ralph worked his entire career alongside his father as co-owner of J. Frank Rowden and Son Excavating, Godfrey, Illinois. His backhoe driving skills were the pride of his professional life and the talk of countless tales. Late at night after dinner, the family got a drive-by tour of their current job site, perhaps a basement they were digging or a sewer line under the excavation. According to him, he did not finish until “the last great work was completed”, and he had many important works throughout his life. In his long retired life, he tended his beautiful 80-acre farm like a private park, loving nothing more than mowing acres of hillsides, cutting thousands of cords of wood, and caring for his farm animals. He was an avid outdoorsman and his three daughters learned their love of the outdoors through him.
Ralph and his high school sweetheart, Sharon Brady, made an elegant couple and were married on April 21, 1957 at St. Patrick’s Church in Alton. His family would soon have three daughters, and he loved nothing more than coming home after a hard day’s work to be greeted by his girls at the back door. He and Sharon were married 63 years when she died on September 30, 2020.
Ralph was a longtime member of Local 520 Operating Engineers and a lifetime member of the Alton Wood River Sportsman’s Club.
Surviving are three daughters, Ramona (Dr. Guillermo) Rodriguez of Belleville, Deborah Rowden of Godfrey and Jennifer (Pat) Schwarte of Alton, five grandchildren, Monica (Mark) Brackman of Belleville, Phillip (Cami) Rodriguez of Carmel, Ind., Joshua (Amy) Holden of Austin, TX, Justin (Jodie) Holden of Austin, TX and Grace Schwarte of Alton, and six great-grandchildren, Noelle, Dennis, Mather, Margaret, Mabel and Jude. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, November 24, 2023 at Gent Funeral Home in Alton. Deacon Bill Kessler will officiate. Burial will be in Valhalla Memorial Park in Godfrey. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Ambrose Catholic Church, Godfrey, IL. Online guest book and information can be found at www.gentfuneralhome.com
