Gordon Sims Bowman

Birthplace

• Honeyville, Utah

Occupations

• Worked several odd jobs
• Retail Department Store Management
• Became VP of major corporations,
• Opened a store, The Candle House, in Sisters, Oregon with wife, Verna.

Accidents / Hardships

• Climbed a tree in Portland to watch for his Dad to come home and fell and shattered his elbow in a compound fracture
• Shot in the back in a hunting accident
• “I was instantly paralyzed on my left side from the hip down and spent the next couple years fighting for a return to normalcy.  This accident did cause me to spend the rest of my life with a gimpy leg.’
• “Thanks to my older brother, Garth, who literally carried me down off the mountain and got me to a hospital in Redmond, I was able to recover well enough to lead a normal life, if there is such a thing as a normal life.”
• The bullet entered his spinal column on his lower back. Doctors in Redmond saved his life repairing damage to his intestines, he was later taken to Primary Children's Hospital to combat the paralysis and stayed there for 2 yrs.   

Hobbies / Interests

• Golf, Building model boats, Avid Fisherman, Hunting, Flying Garth’s planes

Dating / Spouse

• In October of 1962 Portland experienced one of the worst windstorms in history, severe damage was inflicted to all parts of the city.  He helped a woman who was trapped in her car in front of the house he was living in and took her home.  He and Sandra Lee Sousley were later married  July 6, 1963
• Sandy was diagnosed with cancer in 1988 and lost her battle with it in 1990.
• While managing at Frederick & Nelson he met Verna Maxwell
• She recalls: "I was going through a divorce during that time and he was losing his first wife to cancer.  The company closed the store and you know the rest. He touched my heart."
• They became friends and later married January 18, 1992

Favorite Childhood Things

• He had fond memories of  his Grade school and High School years in Culver before the hunting accident
• His mother, who remained by his side throughout the 2 years at Primary Children’s Medical Center
• “I could never in this lifetime express enough gratitude for my mother and father and the sacrifice’s they made for me.”

Schooling

• Attended Oregon State University and Brigham Young University
• Trained in Retail management

Interesting Fact

• He attended Kindergarten in  Elliot Grade School, which is located in what is now the heart of the Ghetto
• Relinquished his bachelor title at 27 years of age

Children

• 2 children: Trisha Lynn, Garth Aaron
• 2 step-children (Verna’s kids): Susan, Bill

Event / Memories

• "I especially remember World War II at that young age, because almost all of the family was involved in the war effort.  I was a proud kid because I had two brothers, Jarvis and Garth, in the armed forces and my dad and three sisters (Velda, Yeteve and Beverly) working at the shipyards, war equipment factories and U.S.O."