GRANVILLE BOWDEN

SANFORD, Fla. – Granville H. Bowden, 75, went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008, in West-lake, Ohio, after an unexpected illness. Mr. Bowden was in Westlake, Ohio, to attend the wedding of his granddaughter. He was born Nov. 14, 1932, in Stockton Springs. Mr. Bowden was a 1949 graduate of Stockton Springs High School. He had resided in Sanford, Fla., since 1999. He was a veteran and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. He attended the Grand Rapids (Mich.) School of the Bible and Music for one year. At age 36, he entered a two-year missionary training program with New Tribes Mission, Sanford, Fla., to train in tribal evangelism. From 1971 to1999, Mr. Bowden served as a missionary in the Amazon region of Brazil. Prior to serving on the mission field, he was a skilled machinist in Maine. He was a member of Central Baptist Church, Sanford, Fla. Mr. Bowden enjoyed hunting and fishing. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Betty (Clark); one daughter, Karen Riegler of Hudsonville, Mich.; three sons, Leslie Bowden of Sanford, Fla., Kerry Bowden of El Paso, Texas, and Mark Bowden of Brooksville, Fla.; nine grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one sister, Jennie Seekins of Hamden; and one brother, Earl Bowden of Stockton Springs. He was predeceased by his parents, Granville B. and May L. (Quimby) Bowden; and by one brother, Walter Bowden. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Sanford, Fla. Burial will be at National Cemetery, Bushnell, Fla. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to New Tribes Missions Homes, 1000 East First St., Sanford, FL 32771. Liston Funeral Home, North Ridgeville, Ohio, is serving the family.