Flossie (Florence) Jean Bowen

Flossie (Florence) Jean Bowen passed away peacefully at Fairvern Nursing Home in Huntsville, Ontario, on Tuesday evening, August 22, 2023, one day after her 97th birthday.

Turn back the year to 1926, and that is when Florence Jean Bowen was born to Bill and Aletta Card of Bancroft, Ontario. Florence, who soon became known as Flossie, grew up to love the outdoors, fishing in nearby lakes, frolicking through the pastures, and climbing trees.  She even had fond memories of walking to and from the old tin schoolhouse that still stands today.

As a child, Flossie helped on the family farm surrounded by her 2 sisters, Doreen (Card) Lockwood and Mernie (Card) Keown, after a third sister (Mabel) died at an early age, and her 2 brothers, Oscar and Morley, who saved Flossie from drowning in the lake on the farm property when she was very young.

Flossie always had a flare for fashion, a sense of adventure and a real ear for music. She taught herself to play a guitar as a teenager, and she and her sisters could carry a lovely tune as she strummed chords. Sitting on a favorite old boulder that was the hub of their refuge when in need of some quiet time, they passed many hours enjoying this pastime.

As a young woman, Flossie worked at different establishments in the Bancroft area as she tried to make her own way in life. For a spell, she worked in a hairdressing shop, was a maid at the Bancroft Hotel for 2 years, was employed as a housekeeper at a private home, and when higher wages were promised, every summer, she, her husband-to-be, Marvin, and one sister and husband headed to southern Ontario to pick tobacco.

Flossie and Marvin married in 1949 and then bought land at Oxtongue Lake.  Marvin said that “Flossie worked as hard as any man” to assist him as he built their home, dug a well, cut wood…whatever was required, she was in there like a dirty shirt. In true loyal fashion, Flossie even shared Marvin’s night watchman responsibilities at the original Algonquin Park West Gate as it was being constructed.

Around their home, Flossie used her childhood experience on the farm to raise a healthy flock of chickens, while observations made when working at the Bancroft Hotel served her well as she managed their own cottage business, Pine Lane Cottages, to supplement Marvin’s income. She was a busy woman who designed and sewed most of her daughters’ clothing, even those of their Barbie dolls and baby dolls.  Flossie adeptly remodeled, resized and redesigned garments to suit her needs over the years.

Flossie had a reputation for being an excellent cook and baker, skills that were self-taught by following recipes in the old red Purity Cookbook after getting married. Flossie’s butter tarts, apple, rhubarb and raspberry pies were the absolute best!  With a knack for excellent pastry, Flossie was often requested by her family to bake a meat pie for dinner filled with rich, flavorful beef and gravy.  The worn and faded cookbook is a keepsake that is still used reliably today despite its creation way back in 1932 by the Purity Flour Mills Limited, Toronto.

Because times were tough in the early years of their marriage, creativity became a necessity to make ends meet. White sugar was always purchased in 100-pound heavy-duty cotton bags that Flossie washed, bleached and turned into tea towels and pillowslips, while the yellow and blue tin pails that originally held honey were recycled into lunch pails. Flossie wasted nothing, and if something broke down, she took it apart and fixed it proving herself to be very handy.

As the years moved on, with good friends in the community, Flossie and Marvin always took great pleasure in evenings of euchre games and lengthy days spent on the ski trails.  When snowmobiles became popular, a little 10-horsepower Skidoo was purchased, soon followed by a 12-horsepower model, and those opened up a world of winter adventure.  It was not uncommon during March Breaks for Flossie to escort her two daughters, Jean (Hilscher) and Colleen (Hillis) on ice fishing excursions to far off lakes at the break of day, while Marvin would still be on his overnight shifts with the Department of Highways.

Another of Flossie’s favorite activities was dancing.  She loved music and would jump at the chance for an evening of square dancing and waltzing.  Flossie’s musical interests never waned.  She taught herself to play the harmonica and in latter years, the accordion.  Singing along to her own instrumentation, Flossie often shared with the family many old songs that were her and Marvin's favorites as well as some that she wrote herself.  

Flossie's creative interests were intrigued by the chance to take ceramics lessons from a neighbour in the late 60s, but she was unable to fully explore that hobby with the busy life she was leading at the time.  Once an empty nester, Flossie turned her creative talents to folk-art painting and stained-glass art, at both of which she excelled.  Many pieces were gifted to friends and family, some were sold, and others retained for the family’s enjoyment at her house.

Too busy to participate in the Huntsville Fall Fair when Jean and Colleen were growing up, in later years, Flossie made a name for herself among other competitors for her preserves and pickles, knitting and sewing, and especially her folk-art crafts and stained-glass art, many of which won first prize.

It goes without saying that Flossie was a dedicated housewife and mother who, alongside Marvin, instilled in their children a love of the outdoors and nature along the way.  Flossie also loved any sort of adventure, be it far flung or local.  Their various trips included those to Hawaii, Alaska, the Grand Ole Opry, Newfoundland, Florida on numerous occasions and countless bus trips around Ontario. 

It was equally as exciting for Flossie to venture down some old logging road, into Algonquin Park, or to hike through the bush in search of one of Marvin’s old canoes.  A tour of her old stomping grounds revived many of Flossie’s fond childhood memories, and jaunts to see Flossie’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren filled her heart with love.

Flossie is survived by her daughters, Jean Hilscher (Robert), Colleen Hillis (Larry); grandchildren Michelle Hilscher (Arthur Gron), Matthew Hilscher (Kayla), Blake Hilscher (Renee); great grandchildren Calla, Eve, Nora and Keith; several nieces and nephews.

Jean and Colleen express their deep gratitude for the caring staff at Fairvern Long-term Care who helped Flossie pass peacefully and with dignity.

No funeral service will be held.  A private family memorial gathering will take place at a later date.

A small gift of remembrance would be welcomed by Fairvern, 14 Mill Street, Huntsville, ON P1H 2A4 or the Oxtongue Lake Volunteer Fire Department, 3979 ON-60, Dwight, ON P0A 1H0.