A Time to Be Born

Henry Foster Bowman III was born December 19, 1949 to the late Henry Foster Bowman Jr. and the late Beulah Rosalind North Bowman.  He was the fourth child of five and the one and only boy.  His mother called him her "One and Only".  So you may assume he has four lovely sisters.  They are and in order of birth:  First, Janet Lois Bowman Ritter, Second, Gwendolyn Rose Bowman Phillips, Third, Alice Averell Bowman, and Fifth, Brenda Irene Bowman Price.

A Time to Learn

Foster started Kindergarten in 1954, at Powell Laboratory School on the campus of Savannah State College, Savannah, GA.  He was a kindergarten dropout. He did not want to go to school.  The teacher had to call his father to come and get him.  Foster was under the schoolhouse and the teacher could not get him to come from under the schoolhouse.  His father had to threaten him to get him to come out.  He never went back.  He became a kindergarten dropout.

Foster began the first grade in 1955 at Christ The King School, Orangeburg, SC. He gave his Aunt Keturah A. Bowman HELL. Because he and his sisters walked to school, Foster would not go to school sometime.  His sisters would call Aunt Keturah to take him to school.  One day he jumped out of the car and ran down the railroad track.  She jumped out of the car and ran after him with her house coat and gown flying down the track.  Of course he could not dropout this time so he finished (graduated) from Christ The King in 1963.

Foster began Wilkinson High School in 1963.  He evidently did great, he graduated in 1968.  He drove bus and played basketball.  He did not play football, because he did not want to be compared to his father who was well known as a great football player.

A Time to Work

Believe it or not, Foster began his work history when he was nine years old. He decided he was the man of the house and decided he had to work and help his mother and sisters in the summer when his mother did not work or get a check.  He worked with his grandfather and uncles as a laborer.   He started laying bricks while he was in high school during the summer and was credential as a Master Brick Mason while in the US Marine Corps in 1971.  Believe it not he took a class on his own and earned those credentials.

Foster worked on banks, schools, hotels, etc. all over South Carolina. Some of the notable buildings he worked on included the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, the Courthouse and the Four Corners of Law, Charleston, SC,  Resorts in Myrtle Beach, and Hilton Head.

Foster had excellent math skills.  While figuring up a bid, Foster could bid so close to the price that he saved some of the companies thousands of dollars.  He could read blueprints, figure dimensions in his head and do not challenge his math skills.

Foster had a lot of other skills, he could fix cars, any machine, paint, wall paper, etc.  In other words, Foster could do anything and fix/repair anything however, if he did not want to do anything, he did not do it.  He was very stubborn.

A Time to Love

Foster met the Love of his Life, Ruthaleen Mack, in 1967 at Wilkinson High School.   They dated, went to their Senior Prom and graduated.  He gave her a promise ring and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.  Ruth must have loved him, because she waited on him until June 12, 1970.  On this day, Foster and Ruth were married.  They celebrated 50 years of marriage this year.

Foster and Ruth have one son, Julius Foster Bowman, born January 7, 1980. Julius came 10 years into their marriage.  However, their son and Makeya Washington Bowman brought three more loves to their life: Tiayona, Marquis, and Jayquan.  These babies are three of his grandchildren.

Foster also has a daughter, Lisa Richardson, who is another love in his life.  Lisa has a son Shay.  So now this is his fourth grandchild and eighth love of his life.

A Time to Rest

Foster was a fighter.  For the past three years, Foster fought to live. He was up and down, going in and out of the hospital and The Oaks.   Although he suffered these last months, he fought to give his family hope.  Foster was called from this earthly life on June 29, 2020.  He is finally at peace in his heavenly home.

A Time to Mourn

Foster leaves to celebrate his life two aunts--Miriam B. Williams (Howard), Geraldine N. Mazyck (William); three brother-in-laws, General Ritter Jr, Robert L. Phillips, Jr and Sammie Price; one sister-in-law, Lurline Higgett (Willie); two brothers-in-law--Lawrence E. Mack (Yvonne), Freddie L. and Mack; a special brother, friend and neighbor, Thomas Jackson; a  special relative, Jerry Hubbard and a host of nieces, nephews, first cousins, and other relatives, family and friends.