White Funeral Home
400 First Street West
Independence, Iowa 50644

Independence – Lee C. Bowden, 76 years old, of Independence, Iowa, died on Sunday, March 1, 2015, at the Buchanan County Health Center in Independence. He was born on June 9, 1938, in Buchanan County, on a farm northwest of Lamont, Iowa, the son of Fred George and Delma Edith (Dopp) Bowden. He graduated from high school in Lamont, Iowa, with the Class of 1956. He continued his education at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa, where he graduated in 1960. He later earned a Masters of Arts degree in Business Education from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, in 1972. On November 22, 1961, he and Lynne Ellen Reed were married at Grace United Methodist Church in Lamont. To this union two children were born, Mark Richard and Monte Reed. Lynne preceded Lee in death in 1986. On June 23, 1990, he married Linda Kay Menzel at the Union Church in Stanley, Iowa. Lee taught school for 41 years, teaching first at the Lamont Consolidated School and then as a high school business teacher at the Starmont Community School District, Arlington, Iowa. He retired in 2001.

Lee started flying in 1959 and purchased his Taylorcraft airplane in 1960 prior to earning his private pilot license. Aviation, his airplane and the joy of flying were major parts of his life. He was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Experimental Aircraft Association, the Taylorcraft Owners Club, the Vintage Aircraft Association, the Taylorcraft formation Flyers Group, the Historic Trail Flyers Group, and the Young Eagles program, which introduces flying to young people. For many years, Lee was the announcer at the annual air show at the Independence Municipal Airport, and a member of the group of pilots who performed formation flyovers to kick off the Independence 4th of July parade. He was scoutmaster of Troop 81 in Lamont for 17 years, helping eight scouts to attain the rank of Eagle Scout, including his two sons. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Independence and a member of the National Rifle Association.

Lee is survived by his wife, Linda, 2 sons, Mark (Anne) Bowden of Kansas City, Missouri, and Monte (Laura) Bowden of Cedar Falls, Iowa, 4 grandchildren (Chris, Reed, Michael and Braden), 1 brother, Gay (Fran) Bowden of West Union, Iowa, his father-in-law, Robert Reed of Manchester, Iowa, and other in-laws, nieces and nephews.

In addition to his first wife, he was preceded in death by his parents, and sister-in-laws Jan Menzel and Patty Menzel.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 9, 2015, at the First Presbyterian Church in Independence with Rev. John Hougen officiating. Burial will be at Campton Cemetery in Lamont. Friends may call for visitation from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, at the White Funeral Home in Independence. A Memorial Fund has been established through the Independence Municipal Airport to help introduce young people to aviation and the joy of flying.