John "J. W." Wayne Bowen

John Wayne "J. W." Bowen, 66 of West Berrien passed away Saturday, September 25, 2021, at Tift Regional Medical Center. John Wayne was born on June 4, 1955, to the late John Henry and Ava Pearl McLeod Bowen in Tifton, Ga. For forty-seven years, John Wayne was married to the love of his life Margaret Ann Luke Bowen of West Berrien. John Wayne was a pillar of his community. He also never met a stranger. If someone needed help, John Wayne was there to lend a helping hand. He was the type of person to take care of everyone before taking care of himself. 

John Wayne loved to fish, the majority of the time right alongside his grandson Kit and his nephew Will. He loved riding his tractor, planting, and taking care of his garden. John Wayne also loved spending quality time with his family, which many times could be seen through his enlisting their help in his garden and putting up vegetables. John Wayne always wanted his family around him.

John Wayne’s passion was delivering fuel for Fausett Oil Company in Nashville, Ga, which is how most people would know him. He worked at Fausett Oil for for twenty-four years. It is a mystery what time John Wayne would even come to work because he was always the first one to open Fausetts in the morning and the last one to leave in the afternoon. John Wayne cared about his customers so much that he would even call just to make sure they had enough fuel when he knew they should be running low. He would a lot of times work so early in the mornings and late at night that he would drive his fuel truck home instead of back to the office.

John Wayne is survived by his wife Margaret (Luke) Bowen of West Berrien, daughter, Cretia (Bowen) Powell of Nashville; son, James Bowen of Nashville; two grandchildren, Summer Powell and Kit Powell of Nashville; brother-in-law, Chris (Marna) Luke of Nashville, nieces, Joye-Lynn Handley, Jaci Handley, and Anna Luke of Nashville; nephew Will Luke of Nashville; beloved special companion his Chihuahua, Lucy; sisters, Judith Ann Harkey, Frannie (Kenneth) Frost, Bessie Hackle, and Evelyn & (Weston) Miller; brothers, Jessie Bowen, and Gene Bowen; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. at Purvis Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Bennett, Rev. Clarence Luke, and Mr. Darren Johnson officiating. Interment will follow at Vickers Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends Tuesday 6:00 p.m. at Purvis Funeral Home.

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