Leota Bowman, 88, of Henderson Nevada passed away in the early morning hours of July 12, 2018. She had lived in the care of her son Britt Bowman of Henderson for some years and he was present at the time of her passing.
Leota was born on May 17, 1930 to Rebah Lacy Duett and John Duett. She had three brothers: Ezell,
Winifred Wayne, and younger brother James Charles Duett. The children were orphaned when their father left the family and their mother died in childbirth. Due to the difficulty of the times at the height of the Great Depression, the extended family was unable to keep the children together, and the three youngest Duett children, including Leota, were each adopted out to separate families.
Leota was adopted by John B. and Ina Laura Irwin of Vici, Oklahoma in April of 1935. The day they picked her up happened to be the day of the Black Sunday Dust Storm on April 14, 1935. The family survived the trip home during the storm and made it safely to their residence. Leota would later recall that Ina kept her entertained by singing songs with her to keep her from being afraid during the storm. It was in Vici that Leota was raised in the loving Irwin home, spending the remainder of her childhood and teenage years there.
On December 31, 1948, Leota married Andrew Elwin (Bud) Bowman of Vici. Together they had three children: Elwin Britt Bowman, and twin girls Sharman Lee and Shannon Dee Bowman. They spent most of their married lives in Amarillo, Texas.
Leota loved music and played the piano from a young age into her adult years. Over the years, she used her musical talents to assist in various activities at Pleasant Valley Christian Church in Amarillo, Texas. Leota also loved to sing and loved to dance.
In later years, Leota developed a love for travel, taking a number of cruises and also travelling to a number of places along the U.S. West coast. As her health deteriorated, her love of good movies and old westerns kept her entertained.
Leota was kind-hearted and quick with a joke. In spite of decreasing mobility and failing health in recent years, she maintained her sense of humor. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Leota was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Ezell Starkey of Campbell, California, her brother Winifred Wayne Callaway of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and sister-in-law Christa Callaway.
She is survived by her son Britt Bowman of Henderson, Nevada, daughter Sharman Lee Bowman of Mesquite, Nevada, and daughter Shannon Moore and son-in-law Carlos, both of Pflugerville, Texas.
Funeral arrangements will be intimate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you donate to your
favorite charity in Leota's name.
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