Ledie Mae Jackson Bowman, age 93, of Mission, KS, died on April 9, 2015, at Bickford Mission Springs Assisted Living, in the Kansas City suburb of Mission, KS.

She was born April 10, 1921 in Jackson, Tennessee to Gerard and Ledie Poole Jackson. One sibling, George Jackson of Baltimore, Maryland, deceased. After moving numerous times through many states due to her father’s work as a freight depot Agent and Regional Telegrapher with the Union Pacific Railroad, she spent her high school years during The Depression boarding with the Anschutz family in Russell, Kansas, where she graduated from Russell High School in 1938. Following that, she attended Fort Hays State College prior to the start of WWII, then began civilian war duty jobs over the next several years. During the early war, she worked for North American Aviation in their glider factory housed in the (original) American Royal Building in the Stockyard District of Kansas City, Missouri. During the last half of the war and for two years postwar, she worked on base at the U.S. Army Air Corps Technical Training School for the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers, at Buckley Air Field in Denver, Colorado. Following that, she completed her college Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Science and Chemistry from Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University) in Manhattan, Kansas. There she was a member of the lab team researching the earliest benefits of oats on heart health. She taught for two years at the (original) Highland Park Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas (2640 SE Indiana, razed many years ago) prior to her marriage to Iden Lavelle “Red” Bowman on Feb. 9, 1952, at Holy Name Catholic Church in Topeka, Kansas. She then moved to Kansas City where her husband was already employed with Trans World Airlines. She had a 32-year career with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (now BNSF Railway), retiring in 1984. She was a 30-year member of the A.A.U.W. (American Association of University Women).

Survivors include a daughter, Mary (Emilio) Olalde of Topeka, KS, two sons, David (Patti) Bowman of Mission, KS, Christopher Bowman of Independence, MO, one granddaughter, Stacy Leigh Viter of Independence, MO, sister-in-law, Alice Pintar of Shawnee, KS, former son-in-law, Morris Wold of Lawrence, KS, former daughter-in-law, Sandi (Paul) Loving of Independence, MO, nieces and nephews in Bonner Springs, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Florida. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years in Feb. 2008.

The family wishes to extend enormous gratitude to Dr. Paul Kurth, M.D., and his staff, to the wonderful nurses and staff at Bickford Assisted Living, to Senior Bridge, to Continua Hospice, and to those who visited her weekly with Communion from Saint Pius X Church. Their devotion to our mother will never be forgotten.

Services

Visitation viewing will be Tuesday, April 14th, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Amos Family Funeral Home, 10901 Johnson Drive, in Shawnee, KS, followed by graveside services at 11:30 at Resurrection Cemetery, 83rd and Quivira Road, in Lenexa, KS. Following services a luncheon will be held in Kelly Hall at Saint Pius X Church, 5501 Woodson, Mission, KS.

Contributions

Memorial contributions in Ledie's name may be made to St. Pius X Catholic Church, or to the charity of your choice.