Joan Mildred Price

Joan Mildred (Bowden) Price, 93, entered peacefully into heaven on Sunday, February 16, 2025, after living a full and wonderful life.
Joan was born on July 17, 1931, in Weleetka, OK to the late Jesse John "Jake" and Johanna "Josie" Bowden (Lynch). She grew up in Nowata, OK spending many hours at the Rex Theater, which her father managed. Joan graduated from Nowata High School, where she played in the band and served as the drum majorette.
Joan married her high school sweetheart, Lt. Col. Charles R. Price, Sr., in 1949 and they had four children; Lucinda, Marjorie, Merri and Charles R. Jr.. As an Air Force wife, Joan led art classes on many bases, served as a Scout and Den leader, Sunday school teacher, and was active in the Women's NCO and Women's Officer clubs.
Upon Lt. Col. Price's retirement from the US Air Force, they moved back to the family farm in their hometown of Nowata, OK, where Joan was active in her community and church. She opened The Trunk, a women's dress shop in the mid 70's. Additionally, she was a founding member of Save Our Savoy, Mainstreet Nowata and Children in Action and later Dinners with Love. Her devotion to the Nowata Methodist Church could be found in her steadfast participation in the choir and support of all youth group activities. Joan was also a long-standing member of the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 101.
Joan's faith guided her throughout her entire life. It has often been said she had a direct line to God, because her prayers were consistently answered. She was a lover of God's creation and could often be found tending to her garden, bird watching, painting, crafting with her grandkids, baking or clipping newspaper articles. She saw life through an artist's eyes, finding beauty in everything around her and could easily paint a picture with her words. She enjoyed sharing her passions with others.
Joan will be remembered by those closest to her for her love of family. She and Lt. Col. Price built a legacy that spanned five generations at the time of her death. As a mother, she taught her children to be independent thinkers and stressed that they could achieve anything they desired using imagination and hard work. She was their biggest prayer warrior, an inspiration and go-to for everything. As a grandmother, Joan was a source of endless love, a teacher of all things, a role model, an advocate and never let her grandkids leave with an empty stomach.
Joan was a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, artist, nature lover, dog lover, home restorer, cancer survivor, prayer warrior, but above all else, she was a servant of God and will be greatly missed.
Joan is preceded in death is her husband, Lt. Col. Charles R. Price Sr., her parents, Jake and Josie Bowden, sisters Mary Lou Brewer and Francis Smith and brother Sonny Bowden.
Joan is survived by her sister Barbara (Gerald); four children, Lucinda Price Akins and partner Aaron Dodrill, Majorie Fuller-Parrish, Merri Lawson and husband Randy, Charles R. Price, Jr. and wife Diane; 10 grandchildren, Lisa Mark Cops (Terry), April Dively (Jonathan), Cara Harney (David), Aaron Lee Lawson, Sheppard Fuller (Claudia), Angela Osborn (Doug), Carissa Pierce (Tyler), Erin Schonherr (Wayne), Alisha Chambers (Ian), and Natalie Wood (Skyler); 32 great-grandchildren, Thaddeus (Erica), Zachary (Taylor), Nichole, TaKoda, Xavier (Laci), Ethan (Bonnie), Kerri, Joseph, Braden, Jackson, Dante, Landen, Deyton, Pryce, Warren, Cayman, Allie, Kayden, Yakiah, Caiden, Alex, Lydia, Lillian, Raven, Eli, Elise, Brianna, Brynlee, Lucy, Koa, Jack and Amelia; 10 great-great-grandchildren, Jabrial, Jadiah, Eli, Liam, Carson, Mila, Atlas, Greyson, Ronin, Penelope; and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Nowata Methodist Church.
Services are under the direction of Nowata Stumpff Funeral Home.