obituary

This obituary that went to Spiritwood and Meadow Lake newspapers.

Elmer Ross Bowes
April 2, 1916 – May 26, 2006

Elmer Ross Bowes was born on April 2, 1916, at Saskatoon, SK. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at age ninety, on May 26th, 2006. The youngest of six children born to Isaac (Ike) and Mary Bowes, Elmer was four when the family moved to a farm near Vanscoy, SK. When the family moved north to a homestead near Makwa, SK, Elmer stayed with friends intending to complete high school, but joined his family at the completion of grade ten as he was need on the farm. In Makwa he met Madge Cockrum, who had moved to the area from Texas with her family. They were married on Oct. 9th , 1937, and moved to their homestead near Makwa. A job at the Searle Grain Elevator supplemented the farm income, and began a grain-buying career that lasted eighteen years, and took the family from the homestead to Bapaume, SK in 1941, then to Spiritwood in 1947, which was the last move for he and Madge. In 1958, Elmer left the elevator when they purchased a general store that later became the local dry cleaners and laundromat. Following retirement from the business, Elmer drove school bus for the school division, and later became the custodian for the offices. Still full of vigor in his seventies, Elmer laboured along with four partners, to build the Spiritwood Golf Course. Elmer excelled at baseball and over his 36 years in baseball, played for teams in Vanscoy, Delisle, Makwa, Meadow Lake, Glaslyn, North Battleford, and lastly Spiritwood. Curling was his winter passion up to age 89. Elmer was active in community service over the years as a coach, a member of the Home and School Association, was active in the Free Methodist Church, a School Unit Board trustee, member and president of the Board of trade, and executive member of the Centennial Arena Association. He sat as a Town Councillor, then Mayor of Spiritwood during the Fifties. He was a Mason with the Shellbrook chapter, a charter member of the local Lions Club, was a member of the History book Committee, the Spiritwood Writers group, and the Museum Society. Elmer was predeceased by his parents, Mary and Isaac Bowes; brothers, Ken and Claude; sisters, Myrtle Emmerson, Edith MacPherson, and Effie Midgett; father-in-law, Guernsey Cockrum, mother-in-law, Ocie Cockrum; brothers-in-law, Fred Emmerson, Carl MacPherson, Clyde Midgett, and Delbert Mann. Elmer was a wonderful role model. He will be sadly missed by his wife, Madge, of 68 years, his children and their spouses: Bob (Lorrie) Bowes (Coolangatta, Australia), Marilynn (Dave) Ashby (Cold Lake, AB), Betty (Martin) Taylor, Linda (Glenn) Pilling (Spiritwood, SK), Sherry (Zane) Olson (Estevan, SK), his 16 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and his many relatives and friends. The funeral service was held in Spiritwood, May 31, 2006, arrangements in care of Beau “Lac” Funeral Home. Donations can be made to the Spiritwood Idylwild Lodge Auxiliary.