Fred Milton Bowman
After living a life of faithfulness filled with loving and devoted relationships, Fred Milton Bowman, 96, died peacefully in his room at the Bridgewater Retirement Community on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, with the love of his family surrounding him. Fred was born on June 14, 1926, in Union Bridge, Maryland, one of four children born to Berkley Owen and Gertrude Rosabelle Flora Bowman. After graduating as valedictorian from Elmer A Wolfe High School in 1943, he attended Bridgewater College, where he met and began a 70 year loving relationship with Glenna Wanda Martin. He graduated from Bridgewater in 1946 and married Wanda in 1947.
Fred completed a Master of Divinity degree at Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago in 1951 and served as a Church of the Brethren pastor for more than 50 years in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. He was a full-time pastor for 40 years, including pastorates at Grottoes, Pleasant Hill, Keyser (WV), Everett (PA), Dayton, Garber’s, Calvary, Oak Grove, and New Covenant (OH). When Fred and Wanda “retired” to Bridgewater in 1988, he continued to serve for many years as interim pastor for the Timberville, Beaver Creek, Bethel, Middle River, Forest Chapel, Pleasant Valley, Moscow, Waynesboro, and Linville Creek congregations, and as Moderator for other congregations. He provided leadership in the Shenandoah District in various capacities and served his local congregation, the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren, as a Board member and active participant. In 2017, at the age of 90, he was honored with the Merlin and Dorothy Faw Garber Christian Service Award from Bridgewater College.
Fred was devoted to and always happy to be with Wanda and his four children. As his children grew up, the family enjoyed traveling throughout the lower 48 states to attend Church of the Brethren Annual Conferences and visit national and state parks. They usually pulled a small travel trailer, enjoying camping vacations that were sometimes as long as 5-6 weeks. Fred engaged in small home remodeling projects, cultivated a large vegetable garden for many years, enjoyed photography, singing, and the Lawrence Welk Show, and he especially loved chocolate ice cream. Once they became empty-nesters, he and Wanda made more than 10 international trips over 25 years, visiting 23 countries on 4 continents.
Fred lost Wanda in 2015, after 68 years of marriage, and he remained dedicated to his memories of their life together. He will be forever in the hearts and memories of his children and their spouses, Glen Bowman (Beth Poore-Bowman), Carl Bowman (Laura Desportes Bowman), Anne Lintner (Pat), and Joyce Eller (Marlin). Fred was dearly loved by fourteen grandchildren and twenty-seven great-grandchildren. He is survived and will be fondly remembered by his siblings, Freeda Snavely, Jim Bowman (Sylvia), and Lois Whitmore (Joe), as well as by many other family members and friends who were blessed to know him.
Family are invited to attend a committal service on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at 12:00pm, at the Pipe Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery, 130 South Clear Ridge Road, Union Bridge, Maryland. A memorial service celebrating Fred’s life will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 2:00pm, at the Bridgewater Church of the Brethren, 420 College View Drive, Bridgewater, Virginia.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial donations be made in Fred’s honor to the Berkley O. and Edith Fry Bowman Scholarship fund at Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia 22812.
