Bowman Reunion 2917

The Bowman reunion is an event that I look forward to every summer.  Getting to know and visit with my many cousins is great -- I enjoy having and connecting with my "roots."  I especially enjoy the Bowmans because they are known to be great cooks, especially for desserts.  I certainly inherited the Bowman sweet tooth gene!

My grandmother, Ruth Bowman May, was from the family of Eli and Amanda Bowman and they lived "behind" Singers Glen on Turleytown Road.

Click for an enlargement.

I am not sure who everyone is in this photo 

but I think Grandmother is the back row on the left. 

 Grandmother Ruth Bowman May was one of the most industrious people I've ever known. She and Grandaddy bought the farm in about 1920 and she worked alongside him, besides doing all her housework.  She talked incessently at home but was shy in public.  Oh, how intelligent she was!  I think she got all 6 May grandchildren through Algebra.  She's say,  "Now go do your other lessons and let me study this."  Before long she'd have it figured out.

She was an accomplished seamstress and taught me how to sew when I was in elementary school.  It was an advantage of growing up with grandparents because they have more time to teach you things.  She was very thrifty and would take worn adult winter coats and make them into children's coats.  

After Grandaddy died, the attorney said he's never worked with a woman who knew so much about the farm books and legal matters.

Four Generations: 
Eli Bowman, Ruth Bowman May, Walker May, Jr., and Mary Elizabeth May.

I shared my family with Gary this year and he fit right in.  Actually, he knew most of the people.

It's interesting that we grew up 6 miles apart and only 2 years difference in age, yet we didn't know each other.  We figured out that we rode the same bus from Mt. Clinton Elementary School to Turner Ashby High School.  We do know many of the same people, that's for sure.  Then again, that's kind of a "Shenandoah Valley Thing!" 



My mouth is already watering at the thought of the Bowman Reunion next July!