Robert Wayne Owen – Obituary

 

Robert Wayne (Bob) Owen died on December 6, 2022, in Portales, NM. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Dumas, TX.

 

Bob was born on December 28, 1932, in Fargo, TX, to Wayne and Lurline Garrett Owen, the oldest of their five children. He started to school in Grady, NM, and graduated from Portales High School in Portales, NM, in 1951. Later that year, he worked the fall roundup for the Gill Ranch in Harney County, Oregon, then returned to Portales to enlist in the United States Army.

 

Bob met his wife, Hazel Dunlap, in 1955 while both were stationed at the U. S. Army Hospital in Berlin, Germany, where they worked together in surgery. They were married on February 19, 1956, in Berlin; in June 1956, Bob was transferred to the U. S. Army Hospital at Ft. Hood, TX, where he was the NCOIC of the Operating Room. He finished his enlistment in 1959 and the couple moved to Dumas, TX, where he was involved in the construction of Diedrichsen and Son Cattle Feeders in 1960. In 1963, Bob moved his family to Mancos, Colorado, where he ranched with his father. At that time, he also leased ranchland in Aztec, NM, where he grazed cattle during the winter months.

 

In 1970, Bob returned to Dumas to work for Dumas Cattle Feeders. He also began caring for cattle owned by local farmers before those cattle were sent to feedlots for finishing. Soon, he established Owen Cattle Service, a business he continued until his retirement.

 

Bob was ordained a Southern Baptist deacon in 1957 and was active in Southern Baptist churches throughout his lifetime. In Colorado, he served as deacon, Sunday School superintendent, and music director at First Baptist Church in Mancos. In Dumas, he served as deacon and Sunday School teacher and chaired several committees over the years.

 

Following Hazel’s death, Bob married Tommie Greer Bowen on September 4, 2004, in Roswell, NM. They made their home in Dumas. In 2012, Bob published a novel titled Beans: A One-Eyed Horse, and Tommie was instrumental in readying the manuscript for publication. Bob also loved music and played guitar beginning at the age of 10. He rode saddle broncs in rodeos in his teens, he played baseball and was a member of a competitive pistol team while in Berlin, and he was an avid lifelong reader.

 

Bob was predeceased by both wives, his parents, and a sister, Mildred Owen Beason. He is survived by daughters Luri Owen, of Albuquerque, NM, and Karen Bowen Padgett (Ben) of Belton, TX; sons Kent Bowen (Tycie) of Amarillo, TX, Kraig Bowen (Dawn) of Scottsbluff, Nebraska and James M. Luter of Bayfield, Colorado; brothers Bill Owen of Portales, NM, and James R. Owen (Jane) of Devol, Oklahoma, and sister Dorothy Owen Ray (Gary) of Porter, Oklahoma, as well as five cousins, twelve nieces and nephews, nine grandchildren, nineteen great grandchildren, and one great great grandson.

 

Bob’s ashes will be buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery in Santa Fe, NM, at a private service later in the spring. The family thanks Heroes Home Care of Amarillo and Roosevelt County Hospital in Portales for their help at the end of Bob’s life. They also thank Wheeler Mortuary in Portales. Memorial donations may be sent to First Baptist Church in Dumas or to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in Channing, TX.