Obituary of Una Mae Bowman

Sedan - Una Mae (Burden) Bowman, age 72, of Sedan, Kansas, passed away on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at the Pleasant Valley Manor Nursing Home in Sedan after a brief battle with cancer. Una Mae was born on February 27, 1936 in rural Chautauqua County to Ray and Ethel (Ray) Burden, the youngest of nine children. After her birth, her mother developed a blood clot in her leg which resulted in amputation. Unable to care for nine children, her mother Ethel asked her best friends, Harry and Flossie (Robertson) Savage to raise Una Mae, which they were happy to do. Ray and Ethel subsequently divorced and Ethel moved with her two older daughters to California. Una Mae continued to live with the Savages and attended Magga Kilmer School and later graduated in 1953 from Sedan High School. She was a Cradle Roll member of the First Baptist Church of Sedan. She married Garold Raymon in 1953 and they later divorced. To this union were born three children: Cynthia, Jeffrey and James. In 1983, she married Elton Bowman who preceded her in death in 2002. She counted Elton's children, Edwin, Teresa and Clay, as her own. During her career, she worked as a secretary for American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a switchboard operator for Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, as bookkeeper for Bill Moore Motors and Bilt-Rite Construction Company in Sedan. In 1975, she was elected Chautauqua County Treasurer, serving unopposed for fifteen years until her retirement in 1990. After retiring from the Treasurer's office, she also served as Deputy Register of Deeds for five years. Una Mae devoted her "leisure" time to being a world traveler, a homemaker and a farmer's wife. She enjoyed accompanying Elton on his many trips with the Kansas Farm Bureau Board of Directors. She also enjoyed entertaining her family and friends, doing a little "porch sitting" and had an enormous love of music of all kinds. Una Mae was always up for a rousing game of cards, be it poker or "Spite and Malice". Una Mae will be missed by many and we loved her well. In addition to her biological and foster parents and her husband, Elton, she was preceded in death by her adopted sister, Maxine (Savage) Hunt; brothers, Wilmer Dean Burden, Vern "Bud" Burden and Bill Burden; sisters, Colyn, Reon, and Myrna Terry. She is survived by children Cynthia Raymon of Sedan, Kansas, Jeff and wife Joy Raymon, and Jim Raymon of Wichita, Kansas; Edwin and wife Jann Bowman of rural Sedan, Kansas, Teresa and husband Jim Thompson of Stilwell, Kansas, and Clay and wife Cheryl Bowman of Lawrence, Kansas as well as her six grandchildren: Emily (Raymon) and husband Nathan Jones of College Station, Texas, Aaron Raymon of Wichita, Kansas, Diana Thompson and Darren Thompson of Overland Park, Kansas, Doran Bowman of Wamego, Kansas and Jeremy and wife Jennifer Bowman of Chicago, Illinois. Also surviving are one brother, Cleon Burden and sisters, Jerry Yokum and Barbara Chandonnet, all of California. The casket will be closed but friends may sign the register book from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sunday, September 21, 2008 at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Sedan, Kansas. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 22, 2008 at the First Baptist Church in Sedan, Kansas with Dr. J. Dean McNamara officiating. Interment will follow at the Greenwood Cemetery in Sedan, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the First Baptist Church or Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and these remembrances may be left in care of David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 209 N. Douglas, Sedan, Kansas 67361. To view the entire obituary online, visit www.dwbfh.com. David W. Barnes Funeral Home of Sedan is in charge of arrangements.