12/2/09: Laurali Noteman
Jonathan Bowman, what a guy! And I mean that. Bowman was born and grew up in Chihuahua, Mexico. He was born in the "green Hospital", (no that’s not the name it’s the color) and delivered by Dr. Hatch. Bowman joked, "My brothers and sisters used to tease me, ‘We were born and you were hatched.’ "
"Dad was a Spanish teacher. Actually he ran the entire Humanities Department," Dr. Bowman related. He was going to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a Spanish teacher until his wife, Donna, had their first child.
"We were poor. Donna decided to have a midwife and have our first baby at home," Bowman continued. "But after 35 hours of labor the midwife sent her to the hospital. I was there for the C-Section and the whole process." That is when he decided he wanted to be a physician.
His childhood background is in large part why he wanted to become a rural physician. Wages were low for his father as a teacher, so his family ran a cattle ranch and pear orchard. "We (the kids) would pick pears and sell them to the market." The kids would save their money then go to El Paso, Texas, to buy school clothes once a year.
The Bowman’s now have 9 children ranging in ages 16 years to 6 months, with a set of triplets thrown in the mix. If you ask the Doc how many are in the family he’ll tell you, "We have 9 kids, 4 horses, 3 cows, 30 chickens, and 2 cats."
His family believes in a strong work ethic. The kids all help with chores and they can all make butter, ice cream, and bread. He just glowed as he told me that their oldest daughter, Johanna, made and sold 2,000 loaves of bread to earn money for the Eisenhower People to People program. A tour designed for young students and by invitation which took her to England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Dr. Bowman loves to interact with his family. They all enjoy horseback riding and ranching. He loves construction. He and his family will soon begin construction on "The Hacienda" the name they have affectionately given their future home.
Dr. Bowman came to Kane County Clinic in August 2003. This week he delivered his 278th baby in Kanab, he has delivered 478 to date.
I wish I had more space to recall some of his stories. They are colorful and told with laughter and enthusiasm. Next time you see Dr. Bowman check out the twinkle in his eyes, its there, his zest for life.
