Roger Bowen

A farmer rooted in the soil of his family’s Greene Township homestead, Roger C. Bowen, 92, of rural Portland, died Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, of COVID-19 at IU Health Jay.

Born on Aug. 8, 1928, Roger was the fifth (and last survivor) of F. Raymond and A. Opal (Wood) Bowen’s six children. He spent his entire life on the family farm, growing corn and soy beans and gathering eggs from the chicken house to sell to neighbors; he retired in 1997.

In 2005 he wrote in a short autobiography, “I’ll keep taking care of the farm as long as I can. I’ve lived my whole life here, taking care of it while it’s taken care of me and my family. What else would I do?”

In addition to farming, Roger sold seed for Northrup King Seed Company for many years. He also tested grain samples in storage bins for the ACS office for several years and assisted with land appraising in Greene Township for one summer.

But most notably he supplemented his farming income by flying commercial charter flights — often for Portland Forge, Sheller-Globe and Naas Foods executives — and giving flying lessons from Steed Field, his home away from home. He caught “flying fever” as a young man, soloing on his 18th birthday and earning his private pilot’s license in 1947.

His first eight years of schooling were in the one-room Center School before he graduated from Portland High School in 1946. He served as vice president of his senior class alongside Luetta June Smith, who was secretary-treasurer. They later dated and then married on June 25, 1950, at First Methodist (now Asbury) Church in Portland.

Roger, who started almost every day of his adult life by driving into Portland to “hear the gossip but leave it at the door” while drinking coffee at the now-closed Corner Café (and previously at Laramie Lunch and the Breezeway Restaurant), served as an at-large member of the Jay County Council from 1972 to 1992. He was council president when the new Jay County Hospital opened in 1980 and spoke at its dedication ceremonies. His name is on a plaque in the building where he died.

A founding member of the Portland Morning Optimist Club, Bowen served as its president in 1987 and ’88 and worked many shifts at the Optimist Building at Jay County Fairgrounds over the years. He was also a 67-year member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows’ Omega Lodge #218 and served as the Noble Grand in 1963, 2000, 2003 and 2005 as well as its financial officer for many years.

In addition, Roger was a member of Jay County Historical Society, donating to its museum the Votaw Street toll building that had sat on the family farm for decades.

He was dedicated to Center Church, serving as treasurer/trustee/custodian for most of his adult years and also as the adult Sunday School leader for some of those years. He attended Center Church his entire life until it closed in 2018, when he transferred his church membership to Asbury.

In addition to his wife Luetta, survivors include Pamela (Jack) Burks of Fishers; Kathy Stolz of Franklin; Jeffrey of Portland; Douglas (Jacquie) of Greeley, Colorado; Mark of Falls Church, Virginia; and Todd (Lionel Smith) of Evanston, Illinois. His surviving family also includes six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Predeceasing Roger were his parents; his siblings, Lena Morrical, Virginia Bowen, Fred Bowen, Carl Bowen, and Gene “Bud” Bowen; and a granddaughter, Abbie Bowen.

Calling will be from 10 a.m. until the 1 p.m. funeral on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Asbury United Methodist Church, 204 E. Arch St., Portland. He will be buried in Salamonia Cemetery following the funeral.

The family requests memorial gifts be made to the church.

Mask will be required for attendance at the church.

Arrangements are entrusted to Williamson-Spencer and Penrod Funeral Homes in Portland.

Condolences may be expressed at williamsonspencer.com.