Rubinell Christmas Bowen

Rubinell Christmas Bowen, 86, beloved wife of sixty seven years to Leavy Alton Bowen, died peacefully at home after a long, valiant fight with Alzheimer's disease.

Mrs. Bowen was born October 4, 1928 in Vienna, Georgia to the late Edie Mae Sangster and George B. Christmas. In 1949, she graduated from Georgia State College for Women with a degree in Home Economics which was well used as a consummate homemaker. Her ability to grow, preserve, cook, and serve fabulous, impromptu meals to anyone who dropped by was legendary. She never met a stranger and was quick to share her time and her resources with all. She was always curious about the world. The Bowens enjoyed summers in Alaska catching salmon and enjoying the beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. She loved exploring life through books, passing on her love of reading to her grandchildren and the many children whose lives she touched as a librarian, retiring from Parkwood Elementary after 16 years of service in 1988. Before and following retirement, she served as librarian at Shirley Hills Baptist Church and established libraries at both Green Acres Baptist Church and Friendship Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia.

In addition to her parents, she was also predeceased by a brother Joseph Christmas, a sister Louise Perry, and her first grandchild, Elizabeth Claire McLeod.

Mrs. Bowen is survived by her husband, Alton Bowen; five children, Natalie Bowen McLeod (the late Mack McLeod), Keith Bowen (Audrey Forbes), Kenneth Bowen, Kevin Bowen (Lisa Sirmans), Angel Bowen Brown (Keith Brown); 13 grandchildren Jeremy McLeod, Susannah McLeod (Chloe), Caroline McLeod Harris(Marlin), Julia Bowen, Melody Bowen, Emily Bowen Aloi (Joseph), David Bowen, Sarah Osborne (Griffin), Ashley Bowen Woolsey (James), Myles Bowen, Anna Claire Brown, Jacob Brown, and Molly Brown; one great grandchild, Bowen Woolsey, expected in March 2015; two sisters, Dorothy Johnston of Hendersonville, NC and Bobby Ann Benedict of Montgomery Village, MD are also survivors.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, October 23 at McCullough Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 24, 2014 at Friendship Baptist Church with interment following at Magnolia Park Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the library at Friendship Baptist Church, 1322 Feagin Mill Road, Warner Robins, GA. 31088 or the Alzheimer's Association, 886 Mulberry Street, Macon, GA. 31201.


Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Rd.
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088