Doris Bowers age 103 of Arnold, NE passed away October 23, 2022, at the Callaway District Hospital in Callaway, NE.
Funeral services will be Monday, October 31, 2022, at 2:00 pm at the Arnold Baptist Church in Arnold, NE with Lane Hickenbottom and Reverend Irv Jennings officiating. Burial will be in the Arnold Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Donor’s Choice or to the family for later designation. A visitation will be held on Sunday, October 30, 2022, from 5:00 to7:00 pm at the Arnold Baptist Church in Arnold, NE. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left at govierbrothers.com.
At the age of 103 years one day ten hours and 17 minutes Doris Margie (Shields)Lynch-Bowers heard the angels signing as she left us in this earthly life. A second daughter of James Ulysses and Alvina Leona (Swisher) Shields she was born in a sod house 5 miles west of Arnold Nebraska on the Logan County line. Eventually the children in her immediate family came to exist of the eight younger children who were in the pattern of girl, boy, girl, boy, girl, girl pattern and the two older half siblings of a girl and a boy from James first marriage to Rosa Schumaker. This family pattern took on greater significance when James’ daughter, Nellie Shields, married Alvina’s older brother Ervin Swisher—thus a double marriage contributing to much laughter, genealogical confusion, and mixed-matching when family members chose to function as relatives to themselves or their children. Doris was the daughter or niece of Alvina (her own mother!!) Doris was herself a half-sister to Nellie Shields or was Nellie’s niece. The late Lucille (Swisher) Ondrak, a long-time Arnold resident and a favorite cousin (?) of Doris, called James and Alvina her (Grandpa and Auntie) thus combining both generations.
When Doris was four years old the family moved to Colorado where they resided in several communities. James was a tenant farmer while Elvina cared for the growing family. On the economic scale, they were one step above homeless. When commenting on her life at this time, Doris always said “We had everything but money” — the close family bonds that developed then were cemented for life. In 1930 the family moved to Fort Morgan living first at 9-mile corner and later 17 miles South of Fort Morgan. Each family member in the large family had specific chores they were assigned. Doris was the family seamstress learning the skills she used the rest of her entire life.
On her 12th birthday in 1932, James died and was buried at the cemetery there. After several months Alvina moved her family back to Arnold where she had relatives and where Doris lived the remainder of her entire life.
In Arnold Doris used her sewing skills over the years to sew her family’s, her own children’s daily, school clothing, and costumes. She also sewed for numerous families in the community.
