Lois Fulgham was born on January 31, 1930, to James and Annie Del Fulgham in Birmingham, Alabama. She was the oldest of eight children.
In 1943, the family moved to Cleveland, Ohio where Lois completed her education, graduatingfrom Central High School in 1948.
She soon met and married Percy Thomas Jr. in 1949. Their marriage produced three daughters and three sons. Lois later married Nimrod Bowman.
Around 1952, Lois began studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. She came to love her Creator, Jehovah, and symbolized her dedication to him through water baptism in 1954.
Sister Bowman loved music and was a trained pianist. She enjoyed playing Kingdom songs for congregation meetings and circuit assemblies in Willoughby, Ohio. She alternated playing with sisters Mary Stevens, Nora Ross, and Rose Mack at the East Side and St. Clair congregations. Though she struggled in later years, she continued to play at home as long as she could.
Sister Bowman also enjoyed gardening, sewing, dancing, rollerskating, and spending time with her family and friends. However, her SPECIAL love was for writing encouraging letters to her neighbors when she could no longer engage in the door-to-door ministry. She kept at least one letter in her purse to offer to someone when she was at appointments and shopping. This activity was truly her greatest joy. If you called her on the phone, she would kindly say: "I can't talk to you right now, I'm in the ministry writing my letters".
Sister Bowman was preceded in death by her parents, James and Annie D. Fulgham; husband, N. Bowman; sister, Sadie J. Farmer; brothers, James Jr., Roland, Bernard, William, and Frank Fulgham; nephew, Robin Farmer; niece, Anita Farmer; as well as her beloved grandson, Gregory C. Thomas.
Our dear sister leaves to cherish her memory: a sister, Vivian Farmer; six children, Sharon Jackson (husband Steve), Michele Saunders (husband Reggie), Ronald Thomas, Tracy Thomas (wife Rochelle), Waverly Thomas, and Kelly Thomas (wife Vicky); 15 grandchildren, Tarah, Brigette, Leroy, Meinyon, Ami, Errin, ShaRon, Shawna, Ebony, Stacey, Tracey, Tranette, Bryson, Brandon and Taylor, 33 great-grandchildren, as well as nieces, nephews, friends, and a host of spiritual sisters and brothers.
