The funeral for Bertie Leona (Bowers) Dow, 86, of Chester, will be 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 3, at the Fairview First Baptist Church. Reverends John Doffer and Daryle Moore will officiate with burial to follow in the Orion Cemetery. Arrangements are by Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.

Viewing will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1st, and from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2nd at Fairview Funeral Home, Inc.

Bertie Leona Bowers was born on April 15, 1922 to Wesley Thomas Bowers and Ellen Ormie (Barkley) Bowers in Alpena, Arkansas. She died October 30, 2008 in the Fairview Regional Medical Center, Fairview, Oklahoma.
When Bertie was an infant, her family moved to western Oklahoma and then moved to Duncan, Oklahoma on a covered wagon. They lived there for a short time, and then returned to western Oklahoma. Bertie grew up west of Fairview and graduated from Longdale High School in 1941. After high school, she worked as a phone operator in Fairview prior to her marriage to Virgel.
On February 9th, 1946, she married Virgel Raymond Dow in Wellington, KS. Bertie worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company while he worked at Anthony Wholesale in Fairview. After a year, Bertie and Virgel moved to Cheyenne Valley where they farmed for George Viers for two years. After buying land west of Fairview, they farmed, milked cows, and Virgel custom cut wheat and worked for Hallren's Produce.
On September 11, 1950 a daughter, Mary Ellen was born to Bertie and Virgel. In 1952 they moved to Shandon, California where they worked on the X Bar D Ranch. Their son Bruce was born there on January 1, 1954. Upon returning to Fairview in the summer of 1954, Bertie, Virgel and their family continued farming while Virgel also worked for the City of Fairview. In 1963, Bertie and Virgel bought 160 acres 20 miles west of Fairview near Orion, OK. They resided there until April 21st, 2008 when they moved to the Fairview Fellowship Home. Bertie was a member of the Longdale Baptist Church. She had been a member of the Orion Homemaker Club and West Pleasant Hill Sewing Club and was a Sunday school teacher for 35 years.
Bertie is survived by her children, Mary Ellen and husband Charles Stewart of Aline, OK and Bruce Dow and wife Ellie of Chester, OK; five grandchildren; Melynda and husband Mike Allison, Steven Stewart, Mark Dow, Erica Dow and Meg Schoneberg; seven great-grandchildren-Bailey Allison, Mandelyn Hibbit, Sydney Hibbitt, Morgan Allison, Colby Stewart, Branch Hibbitt and Cody Allison; sisters Ava Simmons of Chester, Wesleta Shaules of Billings, Montana; sisters-in-law Ila Gosney of Fairview and Thelma Lee Carson of Ponca City; and brother-in-law Vernon Dow and wife Flo of Oklahoma City.
Bertie was preceded in death by her parents; husband Virgel; and three sisters, Effie Jo Edwards, Dorthy Unruh and Belva June Bowers.
Memorial contributions can be made to Orion Cemetery Association, the Orion Fire Department or Longdale Baptist Church, with Fairview Funeral Home, Inc acting as custodians of the funds.
Condolences may be made online at www.fairviewfuneralhomeinc.com.