Doris Louise Bower

1930 - 2023

DORIS LOUISE BOWER

1930 2023

Doris Louise Bramblett was was born in Hagerman, NM to Feno Bramblett and Sallie Ann Pilley Bramblett on March 24, 1930. She was the first of four daughters.

In 1944, as Doris was about to enter high school, Feno moved his family to Delano, California. She married Rex Thompson, her childhood sweetheart, on July 20, 1946, which was Feno's birthday.

As newly weds, aged 18 and 16, they settled in Earlimart and started out broke. They would ride the Greyhound to Delano on weekends to visit Doris's parents since they didn't have a car. Rex worked at one of the local wineries.

Doris and Rex welcomed their first child in June of 1947. Sammy was born in the back bedroom of Doris's parents with Doc Smith in attendance. They had a second child, Sandra Kay, in October of 1951. Except for a brief period in 1952 they continued to live in Earlimart until 1966.

Rex spent five years as an apprentice, working all day as a plumber, and driving to Bakersfield at night for master plumber classes. After working for Striplin-Eberlein for nine years Rex started his own business, and Doris worked as bookkeeper and office manager while managing the household. She was always a room mother for the kids, and she took on the job of President of the Earlimart PTA one year.

Church was an important part of the young family's life. Doris sometimes played piano for the services, and Rex played guitar. They also sang in a quartet with her sister Wilma and husband Ken.

In August 1971 Rex, Doris, and Sandra packed up an old truck Rex had renovated and took their car on a ferry to Juneau, Alaska to start a new life. Within the first week of arrival, Rex experienced a massive cerebral hemorrhage which took his life at the age of 42 after 25 years of marriage.

Upon her return to Delano, as she was picking up the pieces of her life, Doris met and fell in love with Bob Bower. They were married in August of 1972. They now instantly had a family of six children which they both accepted unconditionally. They had holidays together and birthdays together, and relatives from both sides of the family were welcomed with open arms.

As the kids grew older, they shared the weddings and eventually shared the birth of the grandchildren. As those grandchildren had children of their own, they were welcomed into the family.

In May of 2017 Bob passed away at the age of 96. They had been married for just short of 45 years. As Doris said, Rex was her childhood sweetheart and Bob was her soul mate.

Almost a year after Bob's death, Doris moved to Bakersfield so that the family there was available to help her when needed. Although family visited often and helped with meals, she lived alone for the rest of her life. Also her friends Edith Fuentes and Debby and Luis Chavez visited to help her regularly.

Frequent phone calls from family members were the highlights of her days. Although Doris's body was frail at the end, she maintained strength of spirit and her firm belief in God.

Doris is survived by a sister, five children, eight grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren and their families.

A graveside service will be held in Delano, CA on November 20, 2023 at 9:00 AM. Followed by a reception.

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