Eldon J. Bowen

Eldon J. Bowen

Big Lake — Eldon J. Bowen, 91, passed away peacefully June 3, 2022, in hospice care at the home of his step-son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Patty Hawk. He was born May 1, 1931, in Logan, Utah, the son of Raymond J. and Sylvia Hunt Bowen.

Eldon graduated from Murray High School, Murray City, UT Class of 1949. Following graduation, he served with the U.S. Airforce in the Military Police in Korea for 1 year and stateside for 3 years and was honorably discharged from Laredo, Texas in July 1954. He received the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and a Good Conduct Medal.

Returning to Utah, Eldon worked at the Kennecott Copper Mine in Utah for 1 year before moving to Alaska to work the gold mine in May Creek in 1955. After 1 year of gold mining, Eldon moved onto road construction for 1 year and then went to work for the State of Alaska in 1956 building roads and would make a career of it, retiring from the State in the late 1980s. Eldon, also referred to as Bud, was often manning remote stations and keeping bears out of the sleeping quarters and off the equipment and becoming skilled at clearing roads during heavy snowstorms, some of the locations that he worked were May Creek, McCarthy and Thompson Pass.

Eldon met Florence Hawk-Jetton and family at the Wasilla High School following the evacuation of Big Lake residents during the Miller’s Reach fire in the summer of 1996 and they married February 14th, 2000. Eldon gained a step-son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Patty Hawk, and step-granddaughters Christine {Steven) Flanery and Leah (Nathan) Grove and great-grandchildren Ryland and Riona Flanery and Asher Grove. He also gained a step-daughter, Katherine (Syed) Shariq and family. Florence preceded Eldon in death, passing away in August 2013.

ln addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his half-sisters Leona (Ivan) Spencer, Euelda (Asel) Bowen and lzola (Arlan) Seamons and sister Selena (Alan) Keller and brother Raymond (Darlene) Bowen and niece Geraldine Bowen. Eldon is survived by his sister, Klea (Seal) Beckstead and his many beloved nieces and nephews.

Those who wish to remember Eldon in a special way may make a gift in his memory to the American Cancer Society.