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Roger Bowen
<p> A farmer rooted in the soil of his family’s Greene Township homestead, Roger C.</p> <p>Bowen, 92, of rural Portland, died Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, of COVID-19 in IU Jay</p> <p>Hospital.</p> <p> Born on Aug. 8, 1928, Roger was the fifth (and last survivor) of F. Raymond and A. Opal</p> <p>(Wood) Bowen’s six children. He spent his entire life on the family farm, growing corn</p> <p>and soybeans and gathering eggs from the chicken house to sell to neighbors; he retired</p> <p>in 1997.</p> <p> In 2005 he wrote in a short autobiography, “I’ll keep taking care of the farm as long as I</p> <p>can. I’ve lived my whole life here, taking care of it while it’s taken care of me and my</p> <p>family. What else would I do?”</p> <p>In addition to farming, Roger sold seed for Northrup King Seed Company for many</p> <p>years. He also tested grain samples in storage bins for the ACS office for several years</p> <p>and assisted with land appraising in Greene Township for one summer.</p> <p>But most notably he supplemented his farming income by flying commercial charter</p> <p>flights – often for Portland Forge, Sheller-Globe, and Naas Foods executives -- and</p> <p>giving flying lessons from Steed Field, his home away from home. He caught “flying</p> <p>fever” as a young man, soloing on his 18th birthday and earning his private pilot’s license</p> <p>in 1947.</p> <p> His first eight years of schooling were in the one-room Center School before he</p> <p>graduated from Portland High School in 1946. He served as vice president of his senior</p> <p>class alongside Luetta June Smith, who was secretary-treasurer. They later dated and then</p> <p>married on June 25, 1950, at First Methodist (now Asbury) Church in Portland.</p> <p>Roger, who started almost every day of his adult life by driving into Portland to “hear the</p> <p>gossip but leave it at the door” while drinking coffee at the now-closed Corner Café (and</p> <p>previously at Laramie Lunch and the Breezeway Restaurant), served as an at-large</p> <p>member of the Jay County Council from 1972 to 1992. He was council president when</p> <p>the hospital opened in 1980 and spoke at its dedication ceremonies. His name is on a</p> <p>plaque in the building where he died.</p> <p> A founding member of the Portland Morning Optimist Club, Bowen served as its</p> <p>president in 1987-88 and worked many shifts at the Optimist Building at the Jay County</p> <p>Fairgrounds over the years. He was also a 67-year member of the Independent Order of</p> <p>Odd Fellows’ Omega Lodge #218 and served as the Noble Grand in 1963, 2000, 2003,</p> <p>and 2005 as well as its financial officer for many years.</p> <p> In addition, Roger was a member of the Jay County Historical Society, donating to its</p> <p>museum the Votaw Street toll building that had sat on the family farm for decades.</p> <p> He was dedicated to Center Church, serving as treasurer/trustee/custodian for most of his</p> <p>adult years and also as the adult Sunday School leader for some of those years. He</p> <p>attended Center Church his entire life until it closed in 2018, when he transferred his</p> <p>church membership to Asbury.</p> <p> In addition to his wife Luetta, survivors include Pamela (Jack) Burks of Fishers; Kathy</p> <p>Stolz of Franklin; Jeffrey of Portland; Douglas (Jacquie) of Greeley, Colo.; Mark of Falls</p> <p>Church, Va; and Todd (Lionel Smith) of Evanston, Ill. His surviving family also includes</p> <p>six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.</p> <p> Predeceasing Roger were his parents and his siblings, Lena Morrical, Virginia Bowen,</p> <p>Fred Bowen, Carl Bowen, and Gene “Bud” Bowen and a granddaughter, Abbie Bowen.</p> <p>Calling will be from 10 a.m. until the 1 p.m. funeral on Sat., Oct. 3 at Asbury United</p> <p>Methodist Church, 204 E. Arch St., Portland. He will be buried in Salamonia Cemetery</p> <p>following the funeral.</p> <p> The family requests memorial gifts be made to the church.</p> <p> Mask will be required for attendance at the church.</p> <p> Arrangements are entrusted to Williamson-Spencer and Penrod Funeral Homes in Portland.</p> <p> Online condolences may be sent to www.williamsonspencer.com. </p> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l2fwapAjfPI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>August 8, 1928 - September 28, 202008/08/192809/28/2020
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Roger Bowen
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