Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
A. (Alma) Jean Bowers, the daughter of the late James and Kathryn (Merrin) Conner, died peacefully in her home on Aug. 8, 2018. She was born July 17, 1929, in Mansfield, Ohio, the first of two children. She grew up in Mansfield, graduating from Mansfield Senior High in 1947.
The next year, she and a friend, seeking new adventures, moved to California and settled near Los Angeles. Jean would remain there for nearly 20 years, marrying and starting a family. In 1967, Jean returned to Mansfield, where she soon became an employee of a local phone company that would one day go by the name of CenturyLink.
The lure of the west coast was strong, though, and in 1978, with her two youngest children, Jean followed her own Oregon Trail and transferred with her company to Hood River, Ore. She remained a resident there until her death.
Jean retired in 1994 and relished the time it allowed her to spend with family, friends, and her faith. Jean was a Jehovah’s Witness and took great delight in exploring God’s word the Bible and sharing what she found with others. In 2013, Jean was debilitated by a stroke, which left her homebound. Even though communication was difficult, Jean was still able to express her love and concern for others. Her beautiful blue eyes still sparkled and, though fewer, her laughs were still contagious.
Jean loved to spend time in her garden and to take pictures. A prolific photographer (although self-admittedly not a skilled one), she had taken thousands of pictures documenting her nearly nine decades.
Jean also learned later in life that she loved to camp. She first went tent camping when she was 60 and thoroughly enjoyed it into her 70s.
In addition to her parents, Jean was tragically preceded in death in by her youngest son, Jeff, his wife, Carolyn, and Jeff’s son and daughter, Jeffrey and Kaija. She is survived by her brother, Jim Conner, and his wife, Jorlyn, of North Olmsted, Ohio; five children, Jerry Bowers and Kelly Bowers of Hood River, Melinda Libby of Odell, Ore., Paul Bowers of The Dalles, Ore., and Kathy Madsen of Madras, Ore; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and two great-great-granddaughters.
A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1619 Tucker Road, Hood River.
To plant a tree in memory of A. Bowers as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store.
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