James Bowers

James L. Bowers, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 16, 2015, at Ratliff Care Center, where he was a resident for a year.

He was born Oct. 21, 1928, on Hickory Ridge in Welch township, Cape Girardeau County, to George W. and Victoria Eakins Bowers. He and the former Dorothy Ann Farrar of Advance, Missouri, were married July 20, 1951 in Essex, Missouri. They were married 60 years when she proceeded him in death in 2011.

James was the oldest of 10 children and left school before graduation to help earn money for the family. He worked 12 years at Florsheim Shoe Co. He then worked 13 years at the old Marquette Cement Plant. During those years, he furthered his education with a GED certificate and also learned the radio- and television-repair trade. His daughters remember him waking up extra early to take the classes offered on the morning television. While at Marquette, he was financial secretary and treasurer of the United Cement Lime and Gypsum Workers Union, Local 164. He helped negotiate five contracts and was on the Grievance Committee and Safety Committee.

When his job at Marquette disappeared, he was encouraged to attend college by his wife, Dorothy, and at age 41 a new world opened up for him. He completed his bachelor of science in education Dec. 16, 1973. While at Southeast Missouri State University, he pledged to Iota Lambda Sigma fraternity, a professional fraternity in industrial education. He taught at Cape Girardeau Central High School in the Industrial Arts Department and then moved to the Vocational and Technical School. He taught electronics and some adult night education classes. He retired in 1990 after 17 years of teaching.

For 15 years, James and Dorothy had a small business making rubber stamps and traveled to art and craft shows around the country, enjoying the comaraderie of fellow craftsmen and customers. James was a six-decades-long amateur radio license holder -- a HAM radio operator -- and worked with Cape Girardeau County emergency management during their field days. He could patch a call around the world to servicemen when that was the only way to contact them. James worked with the Cape Senior Center delivering Meals on Wheels and was a 32-degree Freemason member of the Harold O. Grauel No. 672 AF&AM. James was a lifelong proud Democrat, supporting and working for various candidates over the years.

It has been said James never met a stranger and knew everything happening in three counties due to his coffee shop mornings at three different places.

Survivors include his daughters, Barbara (Phil) Campbell of Cape Girardeau and Kimberly Bowers Schulz of Batavia, Ohio; two grandsons, Christopher James Campbell of Cape Girardeau and James Eric Schulz of Batavia; four sisters, Betty (Loyd) Moore of Cape Girardeau, Mary (Nolan) Baker of St. Peters, Missouri, and Shirley (Carmen) Wilton and Bonnie Bowers, both of Cape Girardeau; a brother, Floyd (Bonnie) Bowers of Advance; two sisters-in-law, Wanda Bowers of Delta and Dorothy Bowers of Gordonville; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He also was proceeded in death by his parents and four brothers, Gene, Junior, Jessie and Lloyd Bowers.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

The funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Mark Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Morgan Memorial Park Cemetery in Advance.

Memorial contributions may be given to the American Cancer Society research or Southeast Missouri Foodbank.

Online condolences may be made at fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.