That’s What I Thought by Diane Taylor Roberts
Thirty Years Ago
I made several really good friends while attending Cumberland College in the late 70’s and I am still friends with all of them today. I had lost touch with one dear friend, Carolyn Bargo Bowman. We were such good friends in college, we graduated, then I moved to Tennessee and we lost contact with one another. By chance we met in Williamsburg again in 2024. True friendships are timeless. Decades can pass, yet when you reunite, the conversation flows and you pick up right where you left off. It is the beautiful realization that some bonds are never broken by time or distance, and their presence always feels like home. This is how it was with Carolyn.
She shared her story with me, and I continue to marvel at the strength and fortitude of my friend. I was deeply affected by her story. She wanted me to share it with you.
Carolyn and G.B. Bowman lived outside of Woodbine, Kentucky with their three children, Daniel Brooks Bowman, 17, a junior at Lynn Camp High School; Courtney Leigh Bowman, 12, a sixth grader at West Knox Elementary; and Ashley Elizabeth Bowman, 9, a third grader at West Knox Elementary. This family was involved in the community in a variety of ways. Athletics was a large part of their lives, and all three kids were talented. Carolyn was a teacher at Lynn Camp School and was a Girl Scout leader. G. B. worked at Southeastern Janitorial Supply in Corbin and was very active in sports with the children.
The crash
June 24, 1996, began like any other Monday in a lazy June summer. The younger kids spent time visiting with cousins, playing games and shooting hoops. Daniel rode a motorcycle and was in and out. Carolyn enjoyed the day with family and G. B was at the ballpark waiting to see if they would have a game due to the light misty rainfall. It was a day of family time, games, togetherness and as the day neared its end, Carolyn and the kids drove to pick up G.B at the ball field and then headed for home.
The day was over and they were on their way home through Faber to Woodbine on KY 26 W, approximately six miles south of Corbin. G. B drove and Daniel was seated in the front passenger seat. Carolyn sat in the back with her girls. It was getting late and dark. About 9:30 p.m., G.B. was driving slowly and they waved at friends they had just been with at the ball field as they passed them on their way to their homes. Then without warning, the lights of an Oldsmobile with a young driver rounded the bend and entered their path. The cars collided without moments to spare and the impact was severe. All three of the Bowman children, Daniel, Courtney, and Ashley, were fatally injured in the head on collision.
The parents, G. B. and Carolyn both sustained multiple major injuries. They were flown by Lifestar helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. The 18 year old driver of the Oldsmobile was flown by Lifestar to the University of Kentucky Medical Center.
The funeral for the children could not be held right away due to the injuries sustained by Carolyn. She needed to attend, she needed closure and she needed to say goodbye to her babies. The accident occurred on June 24, and the funerals could not be held until July 5, at which time Carolyn’s doctors allowed her to leave the hospital to attend the funerals. She could not walk and had to be transported in and out of the church on a gurney. All the children had 6 pallbearers each and the funeral was held at the Riverside Church of God with Reverends Arlie Petree and Bob Lockhart officiating. It took hours for friends and family to pay their respect and there was not a dry eye in the church. The community was devastated by this tragic incident and through the family’s involvement with church, sports, clubs, school, girl scouts, employment, neighbors, teachers, coaches etc. the loss affected nearly everyone in the community. The burial of the children took place at Whitley Memorial Garden. After the funeral, Carolyn was taken to Cardinal Hills for weeks of ongoing rehabilitation.
Beyond the Bowmans
So many lives have been touched by this tragedy, and their lives have been forever changed. The officer who was one of the first responders was Eddie Cain with the Williamsburg Police Department. He received a call from dispatch one evening when he was a young officer. Dispatch shared there was a crash with injury and fatalities. He was only about 10 minutes out and was one of the first to arrive at the scene. Dispatch did not report that children were involved. When he arrived at the scene, he realized he knew this family. He had a daughter close to the same age as the youngest of the Bowman children, Ashley. He had previously played on a softball team with the father. The accident was so horrific he saw immediately that it was a miracle that the parents, although they were both badly hurt, were alive. His life changed that day. He has never forgotten this family and their tremendous loss. His level of compassion, empathy and concern was heightened to a new level that has stayed with him for the remainder of his career.
Family remembers
Josh Bowman is now the Pastor of Cumberland Freewill Baptist Church on Red Bird Road in Williamsburg. Thirty years ago, he had played with his cousins and was especially close to Courtney. They spent the day together the day of the accident, shooting basketball hoops, playing games, talking and sharing that unique special gift of cousin friendship. When he heard of the accident, he was a child and could not process it. He was angry and crestfallen. He carried a poem in his wallet for years in memory of the accident and it helped him deal with the loss of someone he regarded as close as a sibling. He realized that this horrific event changed him. He found that it was a driving force in his call to the ministry. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” He believes this experience has made him a better pastor. He is able to help others deal with loss that we cannot understand.
The Bowmans have learned to live with their grief with the grace of God and one another. In April of 1999, they were blessed with a son, Matthew Chase, who is now a senior at the University of the Cumberlands. He is on the Presidents list for his exceptional grades and is going into the career path of Information Technology.
Legacy lives on through students
There is a scholarship set up at the University of the Cumberlands in honor of the Bowman Children. It is a scholarship that is vital to students, and the scholarship funds are low. In memory of the Bowman children, I ask that you please consider a donation of $10.00 or more to replenish this scholarship. It is a meaningful way to honor the Bowman children’s legacy while directly investing in the future of aspiring students. You can send your donation to University of the Cumberlands, Bowman Children Memorial Endowment Fund, 6178 College Station Drive, Williamsburg, KY 40769. On behalf of the Bowman family, we thank you for keeping the memory of the Bowman children alive by helping other young students.
