Leola Dowling Obituary (1925

Leola Dowling, 97, of Lincoln, Il, passed away on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at St. Clara's Rehab and Senior Care. Leola was born on August 2, 1925, in Lincoln, the daughter of Elmer and Eva (Sheridan) Schrader. She married Ward Dowling on October 31, 1952, in Lincoln. He preceded her in death in January of 1994. Leola was the last of her immediate family. A native Illinoisan, Leola split her time living in Lincoln, IL and Naples, FL. She graduated from MacMurray College in Jacksonville. Leola holds an Honorary Doctorate from MacMurray and a master's degree in art from the University of Illinois. Leola attended Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University as well. Leola studied with nationally known painters such as Edgar Whitney, Winn Jones, George Cherepov, Harold Gregor, Tony Couch, Irving Shapiro, and Frank Webb. She was known for painting in watercolor, acrylic, oil, mixed media, and pastel. Her work was contemporary, and her style showed enthusiasm for freedom of expression through the use of brilliant color and compositional pattern. Leola was listed in the Who's Who in American Women, Who's Who in the Midwest, Personalities in the West and Midwest, and American References. She was a member of the Prairie Art Alliance and the Hoogland Center of Arts in Springfield, IL. Leola's work has been featured in galleries throughout the United States including New York, Washington D.C., Central Illinois, and Florida. A private interment will be held at Old Union Cemetery in Lincoln. Arrangements have been entrusted to Fricke-Calvert-Schrader Funeral Home in Lincoln.