Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Deputy John Bowman is my Great-Grandfather, and although he died many years before I was born, I was fortunate enough to hear a detailed description of the shooting incident when I was a boy from a very old man who was an eyewitness. There were three brothers that were drunk and saying things of a sexual nature to women they would pass-by at the county fair. A girl went and fetched the other officer, and he in turn fetched my Great-Grandpa.

She took them to where the drunks were, and the rest of the story is pretty much the way it is written. One brother did say to the shooter: "Shoot him again, he's not dead yet", and the shooter shot him in the face, just under the eye. I was told this from the old man who had seen and heard it all when he was much younger. This was told to me in about 1970 or so. There was six children left behind, not five. I remember hearing stories from my grandpa about what a hardship it was on the family after he was killed. Back then, there was no survivor's payout like today, they just "passed the hat" and that was it.

And the shooter was sentenced to death, but it turned out his family was wealthy and had connections, so his death sentence was later overturned, and he was freed after serving only a few years. I used to know his name, but over the years I have forgotten it. Justice for ALL fallen officers, whether it was yesterday or over a hundred years ago. NO PAROLE OR PARDONS FOR THE GULTY. HANG THEM THE NEXT DAY AFTER THEY ARE CONVICTED!

Greg Bowman
Great-Grandson

November 4, 2025

Deputy Sheriff Bowman,
On today, the 110th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of Macon County.

R.I.P.
USBP

Anonymous
United States Border Patrol

August 22, 2023

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Matthew 5:9

Chris Di Gerolamo
Federal Air Marshal Service

November 30, 2021