Longtime resident of Cedar Lane, Vernie Mae Eastman Bowie, died August 31, 2022.  She was born December 8, 1920 to Albert Baxter Brown and Manie Hardy Brown.  She was the third child in a family of six siblings.  Her only surviving sibling is Manie Matthews of the Cedar Lane area.

In 1941, she married Melvin Eastman of Cedar Lane and they had two daughters, Barbara Bevers and Elizabeth Hardy.  She and Melvin were sod-grass farmers and Vernie also worked at the ASCS Office in Bay City for many years, retiring in 1981.

After Melvin's death in 1983, she married Philip Bowie.  She and Philip had many good years together fishing, traveling and enjoying their combined families.  Philip passed away in March of 2016.

Surviving Vernie are her daughters Barbara Bevers and Elizabeth Hardy; grandchildren Lisa Hardy Davis and George Hardy IV & wife Lisa; great grandchildren Christopher Williams & wife Samantha, Kasie Graham Gee & husband Dustin, Kara Wangerin & wife Madeline, and Alex Sandmann; great-great grandsons Kasen Gee and Dash Williams; great-great granddaughters Charlotte Williams and Lily Williams, and sister-in-law Alice Rosson. She was preceded in death by grandson, Jason Dwayne Graham and siblings Opal Martin, Ruby Vines, Albert Brown Jr., and Helen Clements.

Viewing will begin at 9:00 AM Saturday, September 3, 2022 at Cedar Lane Baptist Church.  Funeral service will be at 10:00 AM with Rev. Mike Patterson officiating.  Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park.  Pallbearers will be George Hardy IV, Christopher Williams, Dustin Gee, Kasen Gee, Rodney Matthews and Gary Matthews.  Madeline Wangerin and Roger Clements will serve as honorary pallbearers.