Roberta Lois Wilson Bowers, 89, of Thayer, passed away Thursday, February 21, 2013 at the Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute, just three days shy of her 90th birthday.
Lois was born in Hugoton, Kansas on February 24, 1923, the daughter of Roy and Mabel (Miller) Wilson. She graduated from Elk City, Kansas High School and attended the Franklin Business College in Wichita, KS.
On September 29, 1943, Lois was united in marriage to Ralph “Happy” Eldridge Bowers. From this union was born Marilyn Lois, Rita Ann, April Deanna, and Marc Allen. Hap and Lois were married for 53 years.
The Bowers’ lived in Wichita, KS for 20 years. They moved to Thayer to operate the Eldridge Store, which had been in the Eldridge Family for 96 years. After selling the Eldridge Store, Hap and Lois traveled the U.S. for a brief period, settling in Tulsa, OK until 1985. At this time, they retired and returned to Thayer.
Lois is survived by her children, Marilyn Lois Sell and husband John of Lawrence, KS, Rita Ann Willhite of Thayer, KS, April Deanna Parham and husband Jim of Tulsa, OK; nine grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren with two more on the way, all because two people fell in love; sister, Edna Ruth Gray-Jones of Tulsa, OK; brothers, Curtis Wilson of Berthoud, CO and James Wilson of Grand Junction, CO; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Hap in 1994; a son, Marc Allen Bowers in 1974; sister, Mary Ann Brownlee; brothers, John Wilson, Thomas Wilson, Carl Wilson, and twin brother Robert Louis Wilson; and an infant sister, Carol Wilson, twin to Carl.