Polly Bowman

Pauline “Polly” Miller Bowman passed away on May 17, 2026 and went to be with her Lord and Savior at the age of 92. She was born on November 2, 1933 in Dallas, Texas. She was a cherished wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to many.

She was the oldest of four sisters born to Pauline and Leonard Miller. She lived many places during her childhood including Dallas, TX; Marathon, TX; Anthony, NM; Oklahoma City, OK; Fall River, MA; East Bridgewater, MA; and St. Paul, MN. Polly graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in St. Paul, Minnesota. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in education. She taught in both Dallas, TX, and Farmington, NM, at the elementary level, teaching reading, physical education and homeroom classes.

After college, she became a follower of Christ. She met Charles Bowman through friends in a bible study group in Dallas. They married on August 8, 1959. They were involved and served in several churches over the years: Believers’ Chapel in Dallas, El Paso Bible Church, Emmanuel Baptist Church in Farmington, NM, and Grace Covenant Church in Austin. She also invested her time with the organizations Child Evangelism Fellowship in El Paso, Christian Women’s Club in El Paso, Stephen Ministry at Grace Covenant in Austin, among others. Through church, Polly and Charlie made many friends over the years. We are grateful for all the many, many friends they made over the years. Especially those from Grace Covenant Church who so diligently and faithfully loved on her with their friendship.

Polly loved the outdoors, gardening, flower arranging, camping, bird watching, swimming, Girl Scouts, hiking, and ‘going out to the country’. One of her most favorite things was going out to Marfa with Charlie and family for dove and quail hunting. She had an affinity for dogs and almost always had a canine companion. She was involved with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Austin. She enjoyed the symphony. She adopted Charlie’s love for all University of Texas sports. They were football and baseball season ticket holders. They attended many Cotton Bowls and Sun Bowls. She was an amazing seamstress who could create anything, even without a pattern. She very much enjoyed her Sew-Sister sewing group.

Polly will be missed by her family and friends. She was very gregarious, loved to chat with anyone, was always up for going anywhere or doing anything. She loved going to any and all of the activities that her grandchildren Claudia and Charles were involved in. She was exceptionally proud of them. They were her biggest blessing. She was loved and will be greatly missed.

The family would like to thank the staff and caregivers at The Reserve at Lake Austin and Kindful Health Hospice (and previously those at Maple Ridge retirement community) for their compassionate, considerate care of mom. The staff at The Reserve went out of their way to involve Polly in many activities—even swimming last summer.

She is preceded in death by her husband of fifty-five years Charles Bowman and their son Charles David Bowman. She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister Ann Horne. Polly is survived by her daughter Rebecca Bowman Morris and son-in-law Mark C. Morris of Austin, TX, granddaughter Claudia Morris of Midland, TX, and grandson Charles Morris with wife Gemma Morris of Ft Worth, TX. Polly is also survived by her sisters Jo Biggerstaff of Dallas, TX, and Leona Whitcomb of Ontario, OR, along with their families and Ann’s family.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 28 from 6-8 pm at Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home at 9700 Anderson Mill Rd in Austin, TX. Funeral service will be Friday, May 29 at 11am at Grace Covenant Church at 9431 Jollyville Rd, Austin, TX. There will be a reception at the church following the funeral. Burial will be on June 1 at 11 am in Marfa, TX, where her husband Charlie grew up and is buried.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace Covenant Church via this online link: https://onrealm.org/grace360/-/form/give/single