Person:Merl Bowen (1)

!OBITUARY; Merl Bowen Dies at 71

  Merl R. Bowen, 71, retired heating contractor and an Air Force veteran of World War I, died late Saturday at his home, 722 Sherman St., after a long illness.
  The funeral will be Tuesday afternoon at 2 at the Clevleand-McCallen Funeral Home. Rev John B. Smiley, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, of which he was a member, will officiate. Burial will be in Brookside Cemetery.
 Friends may call at the funeral home this afternoon from 2 to 4 and tonight from 7 to 9.
  Members of the family have requested that tributes be in the form of contributions to the heart fund or the cancer society in Mr. Bowen's name.
  Mr. Bowen, who had been in poor health for a long time, although he was able to be up and around, was a patient in the House of the Good Samaritan for a time after returning from Florida with Mrs. Bowen in April.
  Surviving him, besides his widow, Mrs. Helen G. Ruby Bowen, are a daughter, Mrs Ralph H. (Barbara E.) Kenan, New York City, NY; a son Rev. Bruce M. Bowen, Brockport, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church there; five grandchildren; a brother Max Bowen, Lebanon, IN; and two sisters, Mrs. Robert (Ruth) Kimball, Waterloo, IN and Mrs. Frank (June) Purdy, Madison, CT.
  Mr. Bowen was born July 15, 1897, in Flint, IN, a son of Maurice and Emma Merritt Bowen. His mother died when he was only four years old. The early part of his life was spent at West Lafayette, In , where he attended school and where his father a physician practiced his profession.
  In April, 1917 - three weeks after the United States entered Worl War I - Mr. Bowen then 19 years old, volunteered for service in the air force. For more than two years he served with the Tenth Aero Squadron, more than a year and a half of that time in France, where he saw considerable action while on aerial reconnaissance missions. He was honorably discharged with the rank of a private June 19, 1919.
  Subsequently, Mr. Bowen was employed in Cuba as a plantation manager for the United Fruit Co. near Santiago, from October, 1919 to October, 1922.
  Returning to this country in 1922, he became associated with National Cash Register Co. and attended the company's school in Dayton, OH. About 45 years ago he came to Watertown as an employee of the cash register company at its local branch on State Street.
  On September 13, 1924, he married Miss Helen Gladys Ruby of Oneida in Oneida.
  Years ago after leaving the cash register compnay, Mr. Bowen entered business himself. While continuing an active interest in the cash register business, he assumed the area franchise for the installaion of heating equipment for the Winkler Heating Co, of Lebanon, IN. He was one of the first dealers in the country.  His office was first on State Street, then on Mill Street. He finally transferred his office to his home retiring in November, 1963, at which time Harry C. Smith took over his business.
  Besides the church, Mr. Bowen was a member of Watertown Army & Navy Post, 61 American Legion; Barbenu-Jones Post, 1400, Veteran of Foreign Wars; Watertown Lodge of Elks, 496 and the North Side Improvement League.
  Active also in Masonry, he belonged to both the York and Scottish Rites and was a third degree Mason. He was affiliated with Watertown Lodge, 49, F. & A. M.; Watertown Chapter, 59, R.A. M.; Watertown Commandery, 11, K. T.; Media Temple, A. A. O.-N. M. S.; Watertown Lodge of Perfection; Watertown Council of Princes of Jerusalem; Watertown Chapter of Rose Croix and Central City Consistory, 32d, Syracuse.