Donna Clare Bowman

Donna M. Bowman passed away on September 29, 2014 at the Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center due to injuries suffered in a fall at her home. Donna was born on December 7, 1928, in Long Beach, California, the daughter of Marion and Joy Mozingo. Her father was a successful electrical engineer, owning his own power company for a time and was also a successful landowner in Southern California. Her mother was a wonderful cook and gardener. Donna had an older sister, Virginia Mozingo Waters. Donna was very close to and fond of her sister Virginia her entire life. Donna was a child prodigy as a violinist, mastering extremely complicated pieces at a very young age and giving many public performances at that young age. Later in life, she played First Violin for the Idaho Falls Symphony Orchestra for many years.

Donna attended the private high school Westlake School For Girls. Her academic success and her talents as a violinist led to her admission to Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. Attending and graduating from Stanford counted as two of her proudest achievements in life.

At Stanford, Donna met her future husband, Conrad Bowman from Idaho Falls. After her graduation, Donna and Conrad were married in the beautiful backyard of her parents’ home in Long Beach on a gorgeous spring day.

After their marriage, Donna and Conrad Bowman moved to Idaho Falls where they both lived for the rest of their lives. Conrad owned and operated Peterson’s Furniture. Together, Donna and Conrad raised three children, Jane Bowman Lininger, Thomas Conrad Bowman, and Steven Conrad Bowman. All three children went to Longfellow, O.E. Bell Junior High, and Skyline High School. Donna was a wonderful, loving, and encouraging mother. She became an outstanding skier and taught all of her children to ski. She loved to hike, and also went on many lengthy backpacking trips with backpacking groups whose members were much younger than she. She also enjoyed whitewater rafting and had a very memorable trip down the middle fork of the Salmon River. She learned to golf, worked very hard at it and eventually won the club championship at the Idaho Falls Country Club two times.

Donna was adventurous, fearless, and pushed herself and others, including her children, to get the most out of life. She was extremely well read and highly intelligent. She was kind, gracious, and caring. She had many, many dear friends throughout her life. Most recently, she has been very close with the many wonderful bridge players in her bridge clubs and at the Idaho Falls Bridge Studio.

Donna was a wonderful cook and hosted many dinner parties for friends and family. She was a lifelong seamstress and sewed many beautiful garments for herself and others. She was also an accomplished knitter, and the family has a treasured photograph of the entire family at the base of the Jackson Hole ski resort all wearing intricately woven, multi-colored ski sweaters, with matching hats, all knitted by Donna.

Donna worked at Chesbro Music Company for many years as the personal assistant of her friend and fellow Stanford graduate, Joan Chesbro. She made many dear friends at Chesbro’s.

Donna is survived and will be dearly missed by her three children, Jane Bowman Lininger (Skye) of Portland Oregon, Tom Bowman (Jodie) of Ahwahnee, California, and Steve Bowman (Marianne) of Idaho Falls, and her two granddaughters (daughters of Jane and husband Skye), Corinne Lininger (Abi) and Ciel Lininger.

The Bowman family will be hosting a Celebration of Life at the Idaho Falls Country Club on Saturday, November 15th, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. Online condolences may be left at www.buckmillerhann.com.