bowden funeral home texarkana texas arkansas

Another obit with History in it!

Texarkana Gazette 4/1959

Bowden Funeral Home

Bowden, Benjamin Dudley 9/29/1888-4/07/1959

Benjamin D. Bowden, the last of Texarkana's original undertakers who Served rural communities surrounding Texarkana for many years, was born In Hempstead County, Arkansas, 29 September 1888. The son of William Travis and Victoria (Crider) Bowden. Of English and Scotch decent, his Grandfather Bowden was an early settler of Arkansas and for some years was a freighter and shipper from Arkansas Point to New Orleans. W. T. Bowden was born in Mississippi in 1852 and retired in Texarkana after having spent many years in the grocery business, where he died in 1932. His wife, Victoria A. Crider, was born in 1855 and died in 1926. Both are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, 32nd and County Avenue. Benjamin D. Bowden attended school in Hempstead Co. and in 1902 came to Texarkana, Texas, and for a time was employed by the East Undertaking Company, starting with that firm about a year after its establishment. He learned undertaking and casket manufacturing, and subsequently continued his experience in the casket making line at Birmingham, Alabama, for three years, and for about 12 years was located at Chicago Ill., both as an undertaker and casket manufacturer. When America entered into World War I, Mr. Bowden returned to Texas and joined a regiment of Texas cavalry at Dallas, which was mustered into the national army. From March to June, 1918, he was in training at Camp Travis and at Camp Sheridan, Alabama, until February 1919, when he was mustered out at Camp Grant Illinois in March 1919. He was on duty with the intelligence Section of the Ninth Division. After Leaving the army he closed his business in Chicago and was associated with the Dallas Coffin Company, Dallas, Texas, from May to December 1919. Returning to Texarkana at the beginning of 1920, Mr. Bowden established the Bowden Funeral Home and engaged in the manufacturing of Caskets. Mr. Bowden took the embalming course at the Barnes School in Chicago and was licensed embalmer in both Illinois and Texas. As employee of Mr. Bowden was a Mr. Harry Brown, a licensed embalmer in Arkansas and Texas. The Bowden Funeral Home was established at 1215 Spruce Street where Mr. Bowden had an establishment with equipment and service unsurpassed in Northeast Texas as well as manufacturing caskets for both local and wholesale trade. In the late 1920's the firm reached out and established funeral homes at New Boston, Texas and Dekalb, Texas where complete funeral service was maintained. Mr. Bowden was one of the few morticians in the Four States area who continued to practice the art of embalming in the home of the deceased when so requested by the family. His son, Robert Bowden, who resided in Texarkana, and was also a licensed embalmer and Funeral Director, recall having assisted his father on many occasions during the then many long hours required to prepare a body for burial. Benjamin Bowden retired from the funeral profession in 1951, and sold the site of his business on Spruce Street to the Texarkana Independent School district, who demolished the mortuary and constructed the Spruce Street Elementary School in its place. This property was sold in December 1974, to the Bowie County Health Dept., who will convert the school into space for a medical service to Texarkana and the Four States area. Mr. Bowden married Miss Lorain Walsh of Waco Texas, where her ancestors were early settlers in Texas. Mrs. Bowden was educated at Waco, and she and her family were members of the Christian Church. They were the parents of eight children. Travis, Annie Beth, Helen, Robert, Dennis, Martha, Pat, and Louise. A son, Travis L/ Bowden, was a graduate of Texas Senior High school, and a veteran of World War II. He was born 18 October 1920 and died March 1962. Following his retirement, Mr. Bowden and his wife, Loraine Walsh, moved to New Boston, Texas, with their original casket manufacturing equipment and opened a small manufacturing plant which they operated until the time of his death on 7 April 1959, following a long illness. Mrs. Bowden moved back to Texarkana and lived with her daughters until the time of her death on 30 January 1965. She was buried beside her husband and son Travis in the family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery, Texarkana, Arkansas.

Bowden’s records have been transcribed by the
Texarkana Genealogical Society.
It is available at the
Wilbur Smith Research Library and Archives.
His records were not lost and his work will be remembered.
What a great legacy to have left behind.
It is Also on line!

Book Mark so you can find your way back!

BOWDEN FUNERAL HOME RECORDS