Walter Dean Bowles

Walter Dean Bowles, age 78, passed away Saturday, March 31, 2018, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, TN.

Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Wednesday, April 4, 2018, in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with interment to follow in Pilgrims Rest Cemetery near Batesville, MS. The family will receive friends Wednesday prior to the service beginning at 12:00 P.M. Reverend Derrick Simmons will be officiating the services. Those honored to serve as pallbearers include: Benji Link, Rodney Eubanks, Steven (Ron) Eubanks, Don Phelps, Shane Phelps, Richard McMahan, Jack Wright and Wesley Simmons.

Dean was born June 28, 1939 in Oxford, MS to the late Willie Frank and Beulah Watson Bowles. He was a member of Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Pope, MS and proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force. Dean was the retired superintendent of the City of Oxford Water Department as well as a commercial and residential plumber. If he wasn’t working, one could find Dean enjoying the outdoors either hunting or fishing as he was an avid outdoorsman. Dean had a special gift of making people laugh.

Dean’s kind and loving memory will be cherished by his wife, Martha Lynn Phelps Bowles of Courtland, MS; five daughters, Margaret “Peggy” Jaberg (Kurt) of Fargo, ND, Lisa Link (Fred) of Water Valley, MS, Dena Olson of Calhoun City, MS, Mona Bowles of Water Valley, MS, Lori Anderson of Grand Forks, ND; son, Walter Dean “Bubba” Bowles, Jr. (Debbie Smith) of Courtland, MS; sister, Margaret Bowles Ratliff of Toccopola, MS; brother, James E. Bowles of Water Valley, MS; sixteen grandchildren and twenty-two great-grandchildren.

Other than Dean’s parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Durley Bowles.

Anyone wishing to send a memorial contribution may send those to The Cross Ministry, 107 Quail Run Rd., Batesville, MS 38606, Gideons International, P.O. Box 791, Batesville, MS 38606, or to a charity of the donor’s choice.