Bowman Everett |
| Posted 2008-06-21 by Sharon |
| Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ November 4, 1971 Many Pay Respects To Everett Bowman The long and colorful life of Everett Bowman came to a tragic end October 25 when his single engine plane crashed in the rugged country eight miles southwest of Bagdad and two miles north of Highway 93. He had left the Boulder City, Nev., airport at 8 o’clock that morning headed for Wickenburg. When he failed to arrive here by Tuesday morning and had not made an emergency landing at Kingman, the search began with Civil Air Patrol units, private planes and ground researcher and ground searchers taking part. Dorman (Mike) O’Leary of Wickenburg, flying his own plane, was the first to spot the wreckage from the air shortly before noon Wednesday. Landing at Wickieup, He and Reg Craig of Wickenburg and a Mohave County deputy sheriff, went to the scene of the crash by land. Officials of the Civil Air Patrol said it was raining at the time Mr. Bowman would have flown through the area, and that the ceiling was low and visibility poor. The plane, according to those who found it, appeared to have struck the ground. Wreckage strewn over a wide area. Friends from near and far gathered in the Girls Gymnasium at the high school to pay their respect to the widely known and respected resident of the Wickenburg area since the early 1940’s. The services, conducted by the Rev. Meyers of Scottsdale, were held at 1 p.m. with Dale Smith of Chandler telling of the life of Mr. Bowman and an old friend, Rex Allen, movie and television personality, singing a cowboy hymn. Burial took place at 2 p.m. Sunday in Safford, Arizona, with Masonic graveside rites at the Safford Union Cemetery. Mr. Bowman was born July 12, 1899 in Hope, New Mexico, and came to Arizona at the age of 14, living first in Safford and then Tempe, Glendale, Gilbert and Phoenix. He owned and operated the Heart Cross ranch in the Hillside country before moving to Wickenburg where he acquired land on the Prescott Highway. There he built his home and several other houses and the big barn which was later converted into a dance hall, known throughout the area as Bowman’s Barn. Working as a professional cowboy for many years, he twice was named World Champion All - Around Cowboy in 1935 and again in 1937. He participated in the organization of the Rodeo Cowboy Association and as a winning participant in rodeos in the east and in the west, he accumulated trophies which filled a large cabinet. Those trophies, and the saddle he rode in as world champion, are now at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City where he was admitted in 1965 – the first living man to be so honored. Mr. Bowman served as a deputy sheriff in both Maricopa and Pinal counties and was captain in the Arizona Highway patrol from 1944 to 1948. He twice was the unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for sheriff of Maricopa County. The American and Arizona state flags were flown at half–staff at the Town Hall and County Building in tribute to Mr. Bowman. He is survived by his wife Lois and a son Roger of Boulder City; a step-son, Bryce Waddell of Phoenix; two brothers, Houston (Skeet) Bowman of Safford and Richard Bowman of Scottsdale and a sister Mrs. Maudie Campbell of Globe. Two grandchildren also survive. |
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