Pastor Richard LeRoy Dowling was born June 22, 1953 in Akron, IA. He grew up on a farm 3 miles from Akron. He attended Akron community school K-12, graduated from Westmar College in LeMars, IA in 1975 with a BA, and from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago in 1979, with a Master of Divinity degree.
Pastor Dowling married Paula Koehler on Dec 16, 1978 at St. John the Baptist Catholic church in Jefferson. He was ordained June 17, 1979. He served the following congregations:
Grace Lutheran in Marathon, IA (1979-1983)
Bethlehem Lutheran, Vinton, IA (1983-1985)
St. Paul Lutheran, Wellsburg, IA, (1985-1994)
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran, Elizabeth, IL (1994-1998)
Redeemer Lutheran, Rio, WI from 1998-2001
West Koshkonong Lutheran Church, Stoughton WI from Jan 1, 2002 to July 2018,
Is currently serving part time at Rockdale Lutheran Church in Rockdale, WI.
Pastor Dowling and Paula have 4 sons, Tom, Jim, John, and Robert. Tom and his wife Kalen Barkholz are both pastors (Tom in–Williams Bay, WI, and Kalen in Sharon, WI). They have one daughter, Evelyn (Evie). Jim married Erin Peterson and they have 2 children, Gabe and Maeve. They live in Stoughton, work in the Stoughton area and are active members of West Koshkonong. John and Bobby are home in Jefferson with Pastor and Paula. John works for a contractor in Madison and has enjoyed helping with the weed eating duties in the cemetery when time allowed. Bobby is a greeter at Walmart.
Paula works at St. Coletta of Wisconsin. When she is not working, she enjoys baking and cooking for the family and friends, gardening and always enjoyed quilting at West Koshkonong.
Pastor Dowling is still serving Rockdale Lutheran and volunteering as a chaplain at the Cambridge Fire Department. His retirement from West Koshkonong allows him to do more artwork (oil painting and rosemaling), reading, playing the guitar, walking and jogging and getting Bobby out for ice cream and other adventures. What he enjoys most about retirement is having more time to spend with family, especially the grandchildren.