Ottilie Gabrielle Bowen

Ottilie “Tillie” Gabrielle Bowen of Broomfield, CO passed away on April 19 surrounded by loved ones. Born in 1928 in Vienna, Austria and affectionately known as “Oltie” as a child in tribute to her uncle, Otto, she was raised by her beloved mother and grandmother as an only child. Growing up during the depression and World War II, she saw much suffering and experienced many hardships including hunger and sickness and also witnessed firsthand the Nazi occupation of Vienna. But through this, she developed a strength and resolve that supported her throughout her life. Because of the times, she used to say she was mischievous because she tried everything and lived as though each day might be her last. Even in spite of those troubling times, she grew up loving music, dancing and going to the People’s Opera House. After formal schooling, she went into trade school as a seamstress because there wasn’t enough money to pay for high school.

In 1946 she met Rex Bowen, Jr., a United States soldier, who was serving in Vienna as part of the clean-up crew after World War II. She, a city girl from Vienna, and he, a country boy from Kentucky, did not speak the same language to begin with, but overcame all obstacles and were married in Vienna in 1947. Thus began a lifetime of adventure. In 1948, together with their first child, they came to the United States and lived in Long Branch, New Jersey. It was there that Tillie continued to teach herself to speak, read and write English, and it was during this time that she also became a proud American citizen. Being married to a soldier meant living in a number of different places over the years and developing friendships around the world. She was even able to go back and see her family in Austria several times; something she never thought she would be able to do once she left in 1948 to come to the United States.

That strength and resolve she developed as a youth came in handy as an Army wife. Many times, sacrifices were made as she had to raise the children by herself while Rex was deployed in other places for long periods of time. Because of those sacrifices, her joy was that all her four children graduated from the same high school in Fountain, Colorado - a rarity for a military family. During those years she sewed many clothes, knitted baby outfits, crocheted doilies and countless afghans and loved to read, especially historical novels and mysteries. It wasn’t until moving back to Fountain, Colorado in the seventies that her love of painting came to fruition when she started taking art classes. She became a member of the Colorado Springs Artist Guild and the Pike’s Peak Art Association and won several awards and ribbons in various art shows. Her works have included oils, pastels and drawings in various media and several have been sold to private collectors across the nation. She had a vast range of subject matter in her paintings, but what she enjoyed most of all was painting landscapes.

When her husband retired from the military, they had much more time to pursue things together from joining and volunteering in the Austrian/American Club and camping in their trailer (eventually moving up to a motor home) as they camped around Colorado and the country visiting their grown children and their families. They also immensely enjoyed going on cruises around the world.

They eventually moved to Sun City, AZ, where they kept very busy with friends, going out to eat often, playing card and board games and faithfully going to the pool at least 3 times a week. Each summer they took their motor home back to Colorado to spend time with their camping buddies and making crafts at the local camping grounds as they enjoyed the beautiful Colorado mountains which reminded Tillie of Austria. Unfortunately, it was at this time in Arizona that Tillie stopped painting as her arthritis and tremors worsened and her eyesight started failing.

After a memorable 20 years in Arizona, she and Rex made their final move back to Broomfield, Colorado to be closer to family as their health started deteriorating. Shortly after moving, she lost her loving husband to health issues and Alzheimer’s. It was there at the Sunrise assisted living that they encouraged her to take up art again which she did, even with her failing eyesight. She started painting with water colors and went from doing landscapes to doing impressionistic painting, as she used to joke. She became so prolific in her paintings that Sunrise encouraged her to hold two art shows at the facility where all the proceeds earned from her sales went directly to the Alzheimer’s Association. With limited eyesight and mobility, painting became Tillie’s passion almost up to the very end.

But the most important thing that Tillie cherished the most was her family. She and Rex were married 70 years and created an incredible legacy in four children, 9 grandchildren, and 9 great grandchildren. She thoroughly enjoyed being ‘Oma’ and cherished those times spent with family at weddings, family reunions and vacations.

There are so many things we remember and cherish about Tillie - her infectious laugh, her incredible artistic talent, her tremendous cooking (her authentic schnitzel was the best), and how she was always the first to remember a birthday or anniversary, and her cards were always the first ones received, sometimes several weeks early.

She is predeceased by her loving and devoted husband Rex and her son-in-law Dave whom she loved almost as much as if he were her own son. She is survived by her children Marie Helsing of New Jersey, Bill (Diane) Bowen of Illinois, Rob (Sue) Bowen of North Carolina, Richard (Leora) Bowen of Colorado; grandchildren Vanessa (Dave) Godshalk, Derek Helsing, Jennifer Bowen, Cassie (Jon) DeSouza, Nikki (Jason) Surrett, Sabrina (Josh) Stevens, David (Laura) Bowen, Ethan Bowen and Josie Bowen; and nine great grandchildren Connor, Cadence, Trea, Alex, Riley, Jonah, Jasper, Adelaide and Nathan. Her legacy lives on in her beloved family and her departure leaves an immense hole in all our lives.

The Interment for family members will be held in June. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Tillie’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate