The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-11-28
DEATH OF MRS. JAS. p. BOWMAN.

Mrs. Jas. P. Bowman died at tn,
family home, Rosedown plantation, a
half past three Monday morning, Nov
70, aged SO years. She contracted {
severe cold, on Thursday, from which
pneumonia developed, Sunday, and thu
lnroads of this disease were SO heavy
upon system already weakened by
her advanced age, that the end came
rapidly. The funeral services took
place at Grace Church and Cemetery
at half past eleven o'clock Tuesday
morning, and were attended by an
immense concourse of people from
the vicinity and remoter parts of the
parish, evidencing the universal re
spect and esteem felt for her and her
family, which is one of the oldest in
the parish, prominently and honorably
connected with it's history. To dc
honor to Mr.. Bowman, who has been
for over thirty years the president Of
the parish School Board, the high
school was closed during the funeral
hour and the pupils attended the
ObseQuies.
Although Mrs. Bowman had not left
the confines Of her own beautiful
home-Rosedown plantation-in many
years, hers was no inactive and un-
sympathetic existence. Her life was
busy one, and her sympathies were
as broad as her intelligence, which
had been ripened by culture and ex-
perience. She took profound interest
in the worlds doings, and no one, who
met her, but was impressed with the
qualities of her brilliant mind undim-
med by age, her warm heart, her gra-
cious personality, combining the dig
nifty of a queen with the charm of a
soul of kindness and hospitality. She
was the only daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Daniel Turnbull, among the old
est and wealthiest of the early resi-
dents of West Feliciana. 1t was they,
who built the grand old house at Rose
down, seventy-nine years ago, planted
its rare and beautiful trees, laid out
the grounds rich with rosegarden and
banks of towering shrubbery, started
the wonderful avenue of live oaks-the
longest of it's kind in the world-and
lived to see the place a paradise of
beauty and joy.Amid such surroundings
was Sarah Turnbull reared. Nothing
that wealth could provide to improve
her mind and person was spared in
education and travel at home and
abroad, to mould her into noble,
lovely woman. She was a famous belle
and beauty, and in one of Tx Marvel's
books she is referred to as "the beau
tiful Miss T. whom | met at Rome"
She married Mr.. Jas. P. Bowman,
son of the Rev. William Bowman, the
first rector of Grace Church and the
first Episcopal minister that came to
this section. The couple have con-
tinued to reside at Rosedown through
all the years Of their married life,
bringing up large family of daughters
and two sons. OF these six survive,
Mrs. w. ]. Fort, Misses Sarah, Corrie,
Nina and Bella Bowman and Mr.. Jas.
P. Bowman Jr. all of West Feliciana.
The cares and sorrows incident to
bringing up large family, the vicissi-
tudes of war and Of later times, have
all been met and borne by the noble
chatelaine of Rosedown with a Spartan
courage and supreme faith in God.
She had the reverential love of, her
children and grandchildren, and the
devotion of the husband of her youth,
spending her last years in an atmos-
phere of almost ideal love and peace
among the idyllic scenes of her old
home, and when for the last time she
passed along the avenue and out of
The gates, having laid down it's keys
rs mistress forever, 1t was as of one
going, not merely to well-earned
'epose beside her loved parents and
he children that went before her, but
rs of one going forth to receive
'eward.