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At 92, Bowles still working out hard
Nebo News
By Donna Slaton, Nebo Correspondent
Happy birthday, Miss Thelma, and hello, Anton neighbors. As I am writing this, Thelma Jackson Bowles is celebrating her 92nd birthday on June 25. She has been celebrating all week and is quite healthy enough to really enjoy all the fuss. She works out at the Sports Medicine place and to hear Jack Davis tell it, she puts lots of younger folks to shame. Father’s Day at Bethlehem Christian Church was the Sunday before her birthday — so to honor her late husband, Richard Bowles, and to celebrate her birthday, family and friends were treated to an awesome musical celebration complete with special memories.
In the service proper, Donnie Todd and Johnnie Davis read poems about what makes a father and how the little ones watch what fathers do, and then the Bowles family kept the special music and stories coming. Delores Bowles, daughter of Mary Francis Bowles and the late James D. Bowles, played piano for the service and was accompanied by cousins, Jamie and David Bowles (grandsons of Thelma Bowles), on guitar and bass. They dedicated “How Great Thou Art” to her dad.
Great-granddaughter, Rachel Wilson, daughter of Becky and Mike Wilson, played “It is Well With my Soul” on the piano; grandson, Donnie Bowles, sang “God Wants to Hear You Sing”; granddaughter, Mary Jane Bowles, sang “I Need Thee Every Hour”; Jamie Bowles sang “In the Garden” and an original song he wrote about a parent whose child had died — final verse bringing tears to nearly everyone’s eyes as we realized the father whose 33-year-old son died was our Lord and Savior. Jimmy, who tinkles the ivories often for the church he grew up in, played both organ and piano, including a special favorite “Ring the Golden Bells.”
Thelma’s niece, Donna Gerlach Hankins, played piano to accompany Mary Jane and also organized the musical tribute.
The several pews of Bowles family included Jimmy Bowles, David and Eva Bowles, David W. and Mary Bowles, Donnie, Vickie, Melissa and Cameron Bowles, Mary Jane Bowles, Jerry Bowles, Jana Bowles, Mike, Becky and Rachel Wilson, Jamie and Claire Bowles, from Nashville, Tenn., and Donna Hankins from Floyds Knobs, Ind.
Jack Davis was proud to have his daughter, Sheila, from Missouri with him at church. Melvin and Sherry Carlisle were accompanied by son, Craig, and his wife. It was truly a service full of blessings.
On a sad note, Willie Rickard and wife, Joan, were unable to be there to continue a planned celebration of their 56th anniversary, which was June 20. Unfortunately, Joan’s sister, Janie Rickard, from Earlington (not our Anton Janie Rickard) died Sunday morning. We are sending prayers and condolences to the family. Willie can take a page from Miss Thelma and celebrate the anniversary for days, so there is still time to celebrate. He said he has known his sweet wife since she was seven. That’s romance.
Just around the corner, we want to wish Disney kid, Hannah Sellers, a happy birthday on July 2 and her cousin, Railey Cardwell, a special happy 4th of July birthday. When you celebrate the 4th of July holiday remember that Ben Franklin was a senior citizen of 70 when he helped write the Declaration of Independence. Seniors are some of our hardest working citizens. Whether you are young or old, you can find a way to make the world a better place in which to live.
Thelma Bowles’ big birthday celebration continued on at home after church where son, Donald Bowles, grilled hamburgers to feed the crew as even more relatives came and sang for Grandma. Jimmy’s wife, Janie, came then, along with Mark and Kay Bowles and their sons, Michael and David. Then Thursday for the actual birthday, a little more good food and cake arrived with Becky Wilson and her daughter, Rachel. Joined by Becky’s sister, Jana Bowles, and family friend, Mary Lou Noffsinger, they all helped Thelma celebrate and read all the cards.
Makes me think of the country song by Brad Paisley — “All Because Two People Fell In Love.” Richard and Thelma’s sons have contributed much to the community, not the least of which was several generations more of talented family. Jimmy Bowles played piano professionally with the Happy Goodmans gospel group; David Bowles and Donald Bowles have served the local coal industry well as leaders and businessmen with Bowles Tool & Die and Charolais Coal, respectively. And those accomplishments are just the top of a very long list for each of those fine men. Mom gets some of the credit for that, and so does their dad.
Have a great and please, safe 4th of July and don’t forget to send your special days and vacation news to Donna F. Slaton at misspockets3@yahoo.com or (270) 871-3719.
In the service proper, Donnie Todd and Johnnie Davis read poems about what makes a father and how the little ones watch what fathers do, and then the Bowles family kept the special music and stories coming. Delores Bowles, daughter of Mary Francis Bowles and the late James D. Bowles, played piano for the service and was accompanied by cousins, Jamie and David Bowles (grandsons of Thelma Bowles), on guitar and bass. They dedicated “How Great Thou Art” to her dad.
Great-granddaughter, Rachel Wilson, daughter of Becky and Mike Wilson, played “It is Well With my Soul” on the piano; grandson, Donnie Bowles, sang “God Wants to Hear You Sing”; granddaughter, Mary Jane Bowles, sang “I Need Thee Every Hour”; Jamie Bowles sang “In the Garden” and an original song he wrote about a parent whose child had died — final verse bringing tears to nearly everyone’s eyes as we realized the father whose 33-year-old son died was our Lord and Savior. Jimmy, who tinkles the ivories often for the church he grew up in, played both organ and piano, including a special favorite “Ring the Golden Bells.”
Thelma’s niece, Donna Gerlach Hankins, played piano to accompany Mary Jane and also organized the musical tribute.
The several pews of Bowles family included Jimmy Bowles, David and Eva Bowles, David W. and Mary Bowles, Donnie, Vickie, Melissa and Cameron Bowles, Mary Jane Bowles, Jerry Bowles, Jana Bowles, Mike, Becky and Rachel Wilson, Jamie and Claire Bowles, from Nashville, Tenn., and Donna Hankins from Floyds Knobs, Ind.
Jack Davis was proud to have his daughter, Sheila, from Missouri with him at church. Melvin and Sherry Carlisle were accompanied by son, Craig, and his wife. It was truly a service full of blessings.
On a sad note, Willie Rickard and wife, Joan, were unable to be there to continue a planned celebration of their 56th anniversary, which was June 20. Unfortunately, Joan’s sister, Janie Rickard, from Earlington (not our Anton Janie Rickard) died Sunday morning. We are sending prayers and condolences to the family. Willie can take a page from Miss Thelma and celebrate the anniversary for days, so there is still time to celebrate. He said he has known his sweet wife since she was seven. That’s romance.
Just around the corner, we want to wish Disney kid, Hannah Sellers, a happy birthday on July 2 and her cousin, Railey Cardwell, a special happy 4th of July birthday. When you celebrate the 4th of July holiday remember that Ben Franklin was a senior citizen of 70 when he helped write the Declaration of Independence. Seniors are some of our hardest working citizens. Whether you are young or old, you can find a way to make the world a better place in which to live.
Thelma Bowles’ big birthday celebration continued on at home after church where son, Donald Bowles, grilled hamburgers to feed the crew as even more relatives came and sang for Grandma. Jimmy’s wife, Janie, came then, along with Mark and Kay Bowles and their sons, Michael and David. Then Thursday for the actual birthday, a little more good food and cake arrived with Becky Wilson and her daughter, Rachel. Joined by Becky’s sister, Jana Bowles, and family friend, Mary Lou Noffsinger, they all helped Thelma celebrate and read all the cards.
Makes me think of the country song by Brad Paisley — “All Because Two People Fell In Love.” Richard and Thelma’s sons have contributed much to the community, not the least of which was several generations more of talented family. Jimmy Bowles played piano professionally with the Happy Goodmans gospel group; David Bowles and Donald Bowles have served the local coal industry well as leaders and businessmen with Bowles Tool & Die and Charolais Coal, respectively. And those accomplishments are just the top of a very long list for each of those fine men. Mom gets some of the credit for that, and so does their dad.
Have a great and please, safe 4th of July and don’t forget to send your special days and vacation news to Donna F. Slaton at misspockets3@yahoo.com or (270) 871-3719.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of the-messenger.com.
Donna Slaton wrote on Jul 4, 2009 8:39 AM:
Anton correspondent.
Hope someone can fix this so pages printed for scrapbooks are right! "