Obituary for Virginia Mae Bowen
Ponca City Now - May 26, 2018 8:42 am
Virginia Mae Bowen
November 17, 1928 – May 24, 2018
Virginia Mae (Mahnke) Bowen, longtime Ponca City resident, passed away Thursday morning, May 24, 2018 at her home. She was 89.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 at 2 p.m. at the Connect Church (formerly the Church of God) 1101 West Grand, Ponca City, Ok with Chuck Lessert officiating. Burial will follow at the Resthaven Memorial Park Cemetery with arrangements under the direction of Grace Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Virginia Mae was born on November 17, 1928, the daughter of Arthur Herman Mahnke and Grace (Taylor) Mahnke in Guthrie, OK. She attended Guthrie schools until they moved to Ponca City and started Junior High. She graduated from Ponca City High School in 1946.
She was married to Jack Truman Colberg and to this union was born Ron Colberg and Vicki Colberg Lessert and Kathleen A “Kathy” Colberg Northcutt.
She then married Bob Joe Bowen. They owned and operated B.J. Furniture and B.J. Janitorial. He preceded her in death on December 12, 1997.
She was a long-time member of the Church of God. Her faith was her strongest attribute. She loved Gospel music, especially “The Gathers”.
She had worked in earlier years as the Kress store, was a telephone operator, a nurse’s aide, and she also served as a crossing guard for Ponca City Public Schools for the Garfield School area and then at Roosevelt School last.
She lived in what was known as the “Avon” house. Her mother never drove a car, but walked all over Ponca City selling Avon and that’s how they paid for the house!
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband B.J., daughter Kathy Northcutt on November 8, 2017, step-daughter Bobbie Jo Smith and three sisters, Phyline (Mahnke) Flynn, Geraldine (Mahnke) McAlister and Louise (Mahnke) Moody, and one brother Art Mahnke.
Survivors include her son, Ronald T. Colberg and wife Carolyne of Ponca City; daughter Vicki Lynn Lessert and husband Chuck of Hendersonville, TN; step daughters, Bonnie (Bowen) Alexander and husband Carl of Houston, TX; Sara Jo Griffin of Old Ocean, TX; Mona Jo Wright of Tulsa, OK; one brother, Leroy Mahnke of Ponca City, OK; Two grandsons, Chad Colberg and wife Sandi, of Ponca City, OK; and Jeremy Colberg, of Ponca City, OK; two great grandsons, Kaleb Colberg of Ponca City, OK and Kaiden Colberg of Ponca City, OK; one great granddaughter, Autumn and husband Dustin Kincaid of Blackwell, OK; one great grandson Bryer Scott Kinkaid of Blackwell, OK; one step-granddaughter Baylee Kirkendall and Fiancé Brandon Cook of Norman, OK; one step great grandson Cori Winkelman of Ponca City, OK; Sara (Winkelman) Lee and husband, Dalton; step great great granddaughters Gracelyn Lee and Reaghan Lee; step great great granddaughters Alexis, Halee and Hanna Winkelman all of Ponca City, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial Contributions may be made in her memory to Connect Church, 1101 West Grand, Ponca City, OK 74601 or to Hospice of North Central Oklahoma 455 Fairview, Ponca City, OK 74601
Online guestbook may be signed at www.gracememorialchapel.net