Julia Ray Dabbs Bowen

Smithville—Julia Ray Dabbs Bowen, 90, died Friday, May 29, 2009 at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. She was born August 11, 1918 in Hatley to the late Lemuel and Mary Fuqua Dabbs. She married Ruble Bowen in 1934; he died in 1985. She lived in Detroit, MI for 17 years before moving back to the Hatley/Smithville area. She was a homemaker and a member of the Smithville Baptist Church. She had worked for many years in the cafeteria at the Smithville School and she enjoyed gardening, traveling with her family, spending time with her grandchildren, and her dog, Sissy.

Services will be 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 31, 2009 at the E.E. Pickle Funeral Home Chapel in Smithville with Bro. Lloyd Minor officiating. Burial will be in the Young Memorial Gardens.

Survivors include two sons, Hoyt Bowen (Mary) of Scottsboro, AL and Norman Bowen (Annette) of Tupelo; her twin sister, Celia Fay Jackson of Smithville; 6 grandchildren, Michael Bowen (Becky), Mark Bowen (Debra), Angela Dennis (Dan), Russ Bowen (Carla), Wes Bowen (Susan) and Don Moore; and 12 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Peggy Moore; one grandson, Scott Moore; one great grandson, Mik Bowen; 5 sisters, Minnie Lee Jones, Winona Hill, Emma Palmer, Annabell Evans, and Loucille Welch; and 4 brothers, Austin Dabbs, Houston Dabbs, Burley Dabbs, and Moses Dabbs.

Pallbearers will be Van Dabbs, F.B. Boozer, Lamar Minor, Jerry Lee Frederick, Joe Hal Morgan, and Loyd Pearson. Honorary pallbearer will be Kenneth Hill.

Visitation will be noon until service time on Sunday at the funeral home in Smitvhille.

Memorials may be made to the Smithville Baptist Church Building Fund, 60021 Monroe St., Smithville, MS 38870.