Ruby M. Cowman, 94, of Malcom, died on Sunday, September 18, 2016, surrounded by her family at her home in Malcom. A service will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 24, 2016 at Ivy Hill Cemetery in Malcom with Rev. Len Garrison, pastor of the Malcom Methodist Church, officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Grinnell Regional Hospice or to Make-A- Wish Foundation. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. Ruby was born on June 27, 1922, on the family homestead near Draper, South Dakota to Frank and Florence Whisenand Ball Bauman. The family moved to Iowa in 1932 and settled in the Brooklyn-Malcom area, where she attended rural school. As a young girl she did housekeeping chores for area families. On June 24, 1943, she was married to Earl Alertsen in Lancaster, Missouri. The couple farmed near Malcom and were the parents of five children. Following the death of her husband in 1964, she was married to Floyd Cowman on June 24, 1968, in Lancaster, Missouri. The couple lived near Pleasantville and Knoxville and she raised her grandson, Earl Alertsen. After Floyd's death in 2006, she moved to Malcom Manor. Ruby enjoyed growing roses, assisting with the farm chores, canning from her garden and orchard and riding her scooter around Malcom. Family was very important to her and she cherished the Bauman reunions, traveling with her daughters and attending her grandchildren's events. Survivors include her children, Phyllis (Bill) Pirkl of North English, IA, Shirley (Steve) Neofotist of Marengo, OH, Rose Mary (Ray Jr) Allbee of Lynnville, IA and Wesley (Linda) Alertsen of Malcom, IA; 13 grandchildren; 26 great grandchildren; and one great great granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her parents; both of her husbands; one son, Kenneth Alertsen; one great granddaughter; and her siblings and their spouses, Freddy, Albert, Leslie, George "Bill", Lyle, Harold and Harry Bauman, Alice Mallory, Velma Kies and Lois Sutfin; and her close friend, Grace McKeag.