The Bowen Ranch

(Nada and Garry in Driggs)

1993

In February we were blessed to move back to Driggs, Idaho and live on Garry's childhood farm. Pam and Craig Bartschi purchased our home in Sugar City and moved their family from Rexburg. Dana was transferred into my 2nd Grade class at Central Elementary, and Jason was put in Cindy's 4th Grade class at Kershaw Middle School. Kim's family moved to London, England with the Air Force in March, and Rhoda went to California to serve a mission. 

It had been a year since Beth's passing, but it was hard on my mother to have her husband and two girls gone. She had been sick all winter, and slowly lost interest in living. This was so unusual for her, as she always had a love of life! But it was her time to go. She kept smiling and waving at loved ones who came from the other side of the veil to take her home. I held her hands as she took her last breath, and at the age of 89 she passed away on April 4th. Ellis and Dan were there by her bed. After losing my mom and both sisters within five years, I was left with my wonderful family and both brothers who are such a comfort to me! 

1994-95

Kim returned from England in April, and we had all four of our children and their families join us for Mother's Day. It was a wonderful reunion! My brother Dan married Lori on July 2nd, and Cindy moved to Utah to teach school in Linden. She met Jed Christensen in November, and they were engaged on Valentine's Day the following year. Pam gave birth to her fifth child, Jordan Bowen Bartschi, on April 2, 1995.

(Jordan Bowen Bartschi)

Cindy and Jed were married in the Bountiful Utah Temple on July 14th.

(Jed and Cindy Christensen 1995)

(Nada and Cindy 1995)

1996

Garry retired in February from his Social Work with the State after 30 years. Craig finished his Masters Degree at the University of Utah in June. On July 4th we had a Job Hemsley Reunion, where 50 of our closest relatives were present. I continued to teach 2nd Grade at Central Elementary and had Pam's son, Jared, in my class.

I retired in June, ending my 30 year career as a school teacher.
"I want you to know that I have the most exciting job in the world. If you can wake up in the morning and be just as excited about going to work each day as I have been, you will know that you have chosen the right profession. May you all have a love for whatever you do, keeping in mind that happiness, like so many other virtues, comes with the journey and is not a destination."
-Nada Bowen: "Outstanding Teacher Award" acceptance remarks, 1992-

In September Garry and I opened our "Major Mortgage Company" up in Driggs. The main offices were out of Jackson and Cheyenne, Wyoming. It sure was a challenge for me to sit still and focus on being a secretary after being my own boss in the school room for 30 years. But I had a wonderful boss, who would swipe a kiss now and again, and assured me I would learn this foreign language yet.

(Major Mortgage: Driggs, Idaho)

It was wonderful to have all of our children home for Thanksgiving that year.

1997

Garry and I were called as Stake Missionaries in Driggs after we were released from serving in the Ricks College 5th Stake for five years.

(Garry and Nada Bowen 1997)

Pam's son Brandon was baptized in August, and Kim ran a marathon in St. George in October. We were all there to see him finish!

1998

Kim finished his Master's Degree in Education at the University of Phoenix in April. Cindy and I went to California in May to visit Laurn, Lorilee, and Judy. Craig gave a wonderful performance in "Joseph's Coat of Many Colors" that summer in Utah. Pam's sixth child, Cameron J. Bartschi, was born on July 7th, leaving Dana the only daughter with five brothers.

(Pam and Craig Bartschi Family 1998)

(Cameron J. Bartschi)

Kim was commissioned as a Chaplain in the Air Force and set apart by Elder Groberg of the Seventy in October. Their family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming in December, while Pam and Craig's family relocated to Boise to start a new water business. We spent Christmas with Pam's family at their new house in Eagle.

(Dana's Tribute to The Bowen Farm: Written in 2000)

"Few people in this world have a place in nature they can call their own. A place I will always remember and keep close to my heart is my Grandpa Bowen's Farm. This farm was unlike any other I had ever seen. It had a history behind it. Every building, shed, coop, and barn had a story to tell."

"The farm was built in Bates, Driggs, Idaho when my Grandpa was just a child. You have to follow a winding dirt road to the outskirts of town just to get to it. Once you reach the top of the hill, my grandparent's house comes into view."

"The house holds many memories of birthday parties, family reunions, Thanksgiving dinners, and Christmas celebrations. There was always an activity for every season of the year.

(Nada Bowen with Jordan and Cameron Bartschi 1999)

In the Spring there was still a lot of snow on the ground, but once it melted away my Grandmother's pink and purple flowers would begin to bloom all over the yard. The grass was always wet with dew, and a mist would be hanging over the Teton Peaks."

"When the sun came over the Teton Mountains it looked like an angel soaring over the sky. I wondered if the people in Jackson, Wyoming got to see the same effect when the sun set over the mountains at night."

"In the Summer there was no telling what you could do. My cousins and I got our kicks riding my Grandpa's lawn mower around the yard. The wind would blow through our hair as we cruised at a speeding SIX miles an hour from clubhouse to clubhouse. Since my Grandpa had no animals inhabiting the old buildings, my cousins and I were given the opportunity to pick any building we wanted to make a clubhouse. The boys got the old chicken coop near the barn, and the old woodshed behind the house served as our little girls get-away."

"It was hidden deep in the shadows of a grove full of trees. The wood was old and weathered, and the door hung a little off its hinges, but we loved that clubhouse. We used to take our blankets out there and curl up by the window to watch the bonfires my Grandpa would create in the field behind the grove. But we couldn't stay back for long, because the temptation for roasted marshmallows was too great for us to resist."

"In the Fall the leaves would slip out of their shades of green into the breathtaking colors of Autumn. As I would sit back and marvel at the red, orange, and golden yellow leaves that trickled down the mountains and valleys, I could only imagine that such a masterpiece was created by God. I felt at peace there, surrounded by the creations only He could have made."

"Heading back down the mountain on horseback, I would follow my Grandpa on the trail that led back to the farm, listening to the sound of the horse's hooves against the soft earth mixed in with the sound of dry leaves blowing in the breeze. Not a word was spoken as we took the journey home, leaving that wonderful world behind us that was set apart from reality, or so it seems."

"When Winter comes, the mountains are blanketed with glistening white snow. My Grandpa would get up early in the morning and go cross-country skiing up into the hills to watch the sunrise. When he came back to tell us what he had seen, it was too beautiful to even imagine or describe. I envied him, for I too wanted to witness a glorious site such as this, but I knew my time would come some day. We put on our snow clothes and grabbed our sleds as we headed up the hill past the frozen creek. The air was so crisp and cool it would make our cheeks glow the minute we stepped outdoors. But we didn't care; we were having too much fun!"

"The sound of fresh powder beneath the sleds filled our ears as we went screaming down the 500 foot hill. It created such a rush that we just had to do it again. When it was time to go back, we were usually greeted by steaming cups of hot cocoa waiting in the kitchen. As night fell, we would crowd around the T.V. and fall asleep on the floor."

"It may seem that nature can take a lot out of you, but it can put so much more into you than you'll ever know. This place not only helped me connect with nature, but more importantly helped me connect with the person I was inside. Even though I have moved away from that wonderful place, I will still hold every memory in my heart. The colors, the smells, the sights, and the sounds will never change, and they will stay with me forever. I know I will never forget the fun times I shared with my family on Grandpa Bowen's Farm."