Jerrald Bowen

Mr. Jerrald Bowen went home to be with his Lord on February 09, 2015. Services for Mr. Bowen will be at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at First Baptist Church in Snyder with Dr. Marty Akins officiating. Burial will follow at 3:00 PM in the Terrace Cemetery in Post, TX. Services are under the direction of Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home. Visitation will be Thursday, February 12, 2015 from 6pm to 7pm at Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home.
Jerrald was born in a house on top of the Caprock off the Lubbock highway north of Post, TX on June 18, 1924 to Thomas Mitchell and Nettie May (Gary) Bowen. Jerrald’s father farmed land for his father, B.K. Bowen, who had purchased it from the estate of C.W. Post in 1915. As a young boy, Jerrald would help his father by riding on top of the cotton-filled wagon making sure as much cotton would make it to the gin. Mitchell Bowen was a trader; he traded his farm equipment that also included horses and mules for a Model A Ford with a rumble seat, which he in turn traded as a down payment on a wrecking yard in Post, so the family moved into town. Jerrald, his sister, two brothers, and numerous cousins grew up in Post. Upon graduating from Post High School in 1941, Jerrald enrolled at Wayland Baptist College in Plainview, TX where he spent only one semester. With the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jerrald moved back to Post and worked as a soda jerk at Warren Drug Store while awaiting his draft notice.
During WWII, Jerrald served in the U.S. Army medical corps in the 102nd Evacuation Hospital. The 102nd followed the front lines in France and Germany taking care of the wounded involved in some of the most severe battles in the European theater, such as the Battle of the Bulge and that of the Remagen Bridge. Once the war was over, several months went by before he was able to head home. Jerrald received his discharge in East Texas, caught a ride to Lubbock, then hitchhiked to Post, where he arrived on Christmas Eve 1945-sneaking in the back door surprising his mother.
Jerrald and his brother Gayle opened an auto parts store in a building their dad had and named it B & B (Bowen Brothers) Auto. A couple of years later, Gayle convinced Jerrald to join him at Hardin-Simmons University, taking advantage of the G.I. Bill. So they gave the business to their dad and headed to college. Jerrald graduated with a business degree in 1952. However, he soon realized that his true calling was in education. He began his career teaching 7th grade Texas History at Hamlin, TX, then moved to Wink, TX to teach 5th grade. While in Wink, he began thinking of a girl from Post. He contacted her family for her address, and then started writing letters which led to driving from Wink to Ft. Worth where she was working at the time. In just a short time he knew she was the “one” for him and Agnes Windham became Mrs. Jerrald Bowen on August 11, 1962. The next year, their daughter, Elizabeth (Beth) was born, and two years later, their family was complete with the birth of their son, Jerry. As the children grew, Jerrald decided to move his family to provide more opportunities of the kids, and the Lord opened up a 6th grade teaching position in Snyder, TX in 1972. Jerrald retired from teaching in 1989, but continued substituting periodically over the next three years.
Jerrald was committed to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He became a Christian in the early 1930’s and was baptized in Two-Draw Lake near Post. While teaching in Wink, the First Baptist Church recognized his commitment to the Lord and his dedication to serving in the church by ordaining him as a deacon. Jerrald continued to serve in many areas of FBC in Snyder in the deacon ministry, youth, and children’s areas making sure accurate records were kept for children to receive their Bibles. This was a real joy for him until his health required him to move to Lubbock.
Jerrald was preceded in death by his wife of 35 years Agnes (Windham) Bowen, his parents, Thomas Mitchell and Nettie May (Gary) Bowen, and his sister, Shirley (Bowen) Ownbey.
He is survived by his daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Jorge Morales, and his first grandchild, Alexander Morales-Bowen who gave him tremendous joy after waiting 85 years to be a grandfather; his son, Jerry Bowen and his wife Jamie and their children Brittany and Gregory of Lubbock. He is also survived by two brothers-Gayle Bowen (Janice) of Canyon, and Boyd Bowen (Mary) of Midland, his nephews and nieces-Kenny Ownbey of Moore,OK, Tricia Shears , Steve Bowen, Tamara Castagnetta, Dede Ford, Tere Baker, Mark Bowen, Kristi Hinojos, Kevin Tarver, Kathy Swope. Billie Louise Andress, Leslie McBride, Donny Windham, Sharon Langerhans, Karon McLoud, and a host of wonderful friends and former students.

Online Condolences may be posted at www.bellcypertseale.com