Loretta Juanita (Riggins) Bowen

Loretta Bowen, 85, completed her life here with us on September 2, 2023. She was born August 28, 1938, to Gilmore Givahn and Chloe (Goodman) Riggins in Batavia, Arkansas.

Her early years were spent mostly in Bellefonte and Harrison. Known as Lefty by her teammates,  she was a standout defensive basketball player at Valley Springs High School, when girls basketball was half court. It seems being left-handed was her superpower since she was only 5ft 2in.

Her life as a wife, mother and grandmother was initially spent in Little Rock where she and her husband met and started their family. She worked over 20 years at Teletype, an AT&T company, as a proud member of the IBEW Union. When she and her husband  retired, it was to Quitman, Arkansas, where they started enjoying the 'lake life' on Greers Ferry Lake. Not one to sit still, she soon started working again at the Gateway Country Junction. Loretta was also a member of the TOPS chapter in Heber Springs, attending the weekly meetings and weigh in before they all went to eat at Peggy Sue's Place.

Loretta was predeceased by her parents and all of her siblings: Mary Lynn Jones, Rosa Herron, Lannie Riggins and Jimmie Riggins.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Thomas Daniel Bowen; her daughter Tonda Foster of Edmond, OK; her three granddaughters: Erica Foster of Moore, OK; Alexis Herrman (Jason) of Magnolia, TX; Taylor Stuart (Levi) of Concord,  NC; and her four great grandchildren, Elijah and Emily of Moore, OK, and Colson and Kinslee of Magnolia, TX.

She is also survived by a sister-in-law, Dorothy Kitchel (JC) of Little Rock, sister-in-law, Reda Bowen of Jacksonville, and a brother-in-law, Jess Jones (Mary Lynn) of King City, CA, and her first 'best friend' Wilma Stanley Horton of Rogers. She will be greatly missed by her numerous nieces and nephews and her many friends from TOPS, along with her and Dan's weekly 'dinner out' crew, especially Ted and Ardeen Carmichael. Loretta's devoted lap cat Robbin continues to grieve her empty chair.

As a Christian,  Loretta was always clear about her beliefs and certain of her future in Heaven. She was also very clear about her wishes after she was released from her body here. Her final requests of us were simple. First and foremost she wanted us to look after her husband Dan. She was always consistent over the years with her desire for 'no funeral' and 'no flowers'.

While we will not have a service for Loretta, we will have an interment of her ashes at Rest Hills Memorial Park in North Little  Rock, at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers we ask that any remembrance of her be made as donations in her name to the Heber Springs Humane Society @ www.heberspringshumanesociety.com

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