Bowman was the third of four children born to George Meriwether (1878–1926) and Mary Slaughter (1878–1961). On 15 Apr 1932 in Hopkinsville, KY, he married Drusilla Clendenin, who at the time of her marriage was 14 years, 9 months and 25 days old; they were the parents of one daughter, Betty Ann Meriwether, born in 1934. Bowman and Drusilla soon divorced and she was remarried by 1938; Bowman did not remarry.
Bowman worked as a reporter for the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle and was also a member of the Montgomery county quarterly court from District Twelve and was well established in Magistracy work there in the 1930s.
Bowman was the grandson of Senator Gilfred H. Slaughter
—————
The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee), 13 March 1944, Monday
Bowman S. Meriwether
The tragic death of Capt. Bowman S. Meriwether, which occurred in an Army plane crash near Mobile Saturday morning, has shocked and grieved his many friends in this community. A former member of the editorial staff of the Leaf-Chronicle, Capt. Meriwether loved newspaper work second only to his chosen profession—flying. Two accidents in prewar days while he was a civilian failed to discourage him in what then was his favorite hobby. He continued to fly until he became an expert pilot. He staunchly believed in an almost unlimited future for aviation.
When the war clouds thickened, Capt. Meriwether resigned his position on the newspaper and became an instructor for the Knapp Flying Service. After Pearl Harbor, he volunteered in the U. S. Army Ferry Command and was commissioned a second lieutenant. For seven months he was stationed in Brazil and volunteered for more than one dangerous mission.
Returning to the States, he was transferred to the U. S. Army Service Command and was stationed at Brookley Field, Mobile, Ala. Part of his duties involved testing plane's after changes had been made. It was on such a flight that his fatal crash occurred.
Only a short while ago Capt. Meriwether was offered the rank of major in an administrative capacity, but he could not have flown. Rather than give up the skyways, he chose to remain where he was.
Montgomery County has lost a good citizen and the Army has lost an able and conscientious airman in the death of Bowman Meriwether. He gave his life for his countiy just as truly if he had been shot down in combat.
∼TMSI [2407]: M1221 — 8G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether
Bowman worked as a reporter for the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle and was also a member of the Montgomery county quarterly court from District Twelve and was well established in Magistracy work there in the 1930s.
Bowman was the grandson of Senator Gilfred H. Slaughter
—————
The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee), 13 March 1944, Monday
Bowman S. Meriwether
The tragic death of Capt. Bowman S. Meriwether, which occurred in an Army plane crash near Mobile Saturday morning, has shocked and grieved his many friends in this community. A former member of the editorial staff of the Leaf-Chronicle, Capt. Meriwether loved newspaper work second only to his chosen profession—flying. Two accidents in prewar days while he was a civilian failed to discourage him in what then was his favorite hobby. He continued to fly until he became an expert pilot. He staunchly believed in an almost unlimited future for aviation.
When the war clouds thickened, Capt. Meriwether resigned his position on the newspaper and became an instructor for the Knapp Flying Service. After Pearl Harbor, he volunteered in the U. S. Army Ferry Command and was commissioned a second lieutenant. For seven months he was stationed in Brazil and volunteered for more than one dangerous mission.
Returning to the States, he was transferred to the U. S. Army Service Command and was stationed at Brookley Field, Mobile, Ala. Part of his duties involved testing plane's after changes had been made. It was on such a flight that his fatal crash occurred.
Only a short while ago Capt. Meriwether was offered the rank of major in an administrative capacity, but he could not have flown. Rather than give up the skyways, he chose to remain where he was.
Montgomery County has lost a good citizen and the Army has lost an able and conscientious airman in the death of Bowman Meriwether. He gave his life for his countiy just as truly if he had been shot down in combat.
∼TMSI [2407]: M1221 — 8G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether
Bowman was the third of four children born to George Meriwether (1878–1926) and Mary Slaughter (1878–1961). On 15 Apr 1932 in Hopkinsville, KY, he married Drusilla Clendenin, who at the time of her marriage was 14 years, 9 months and 25 days old; they were the parents of one daughter, Betty Ann Meriwether, born in 1934. Bowman and Drusilla soon divorced and she was remarried by 1938; Bowman did not remarry.
Bowman worked as a reporter for the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle and was also a member of the Montgomery county quarterly court from District Twelve and was well established in Magistracy work there in the 1930s.
Bowman was the grandson of Senator Gilfred H. Slaughter
—————
The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee), 13 March 1944, Monday
Bowman S. Meriwether
The tragic death of Capt. Bowman S. Meriwether, which occurred in an Army plane crash near Mobile Saturday morning, has shocked and grieved his many friends in this community. A former member of the editorial staff of the Leaf-Chronicle, Capt. Meriwether loved newspaper work second only to his chosen profession—flying. Two accidents in prewar days while he was a civilian failed to discourage him in what then was his favorite hobby. He continued to fly until he became an expert pilot. He staunchly believed in an almost unlimited future for aviation.
When the war clouds thickened, Capt. Meriwether resigned his position on the newspaper and became an instructor for the Knapp Flying Service. After Pearl Harbor, he volunteered in the U. S. Army Ferry Command and was commissioned a second lieutenant. For seven months he was stationed in Brazil and volunteered for more than one dangerous mission.
Returning to the States, he was transferred to the U. S. Army Service Command and was stationed at Brookley Field, Mobile, Ala. Part of his duties involved testing plane's after changes had been made. It was on such a flight that his fatal crash occurred.
Only a short while ago Capt. Meriwether was offered the rank of major in an administrative capacity, but he could not have flown. Rather than give up the skyways, he chose to remain where he was.
Montgomery County has lost a good citizen and the Army has lost an able and conscientious airman in the death of Bowman Meriwether. He gave his life for his countiy just as truly if he had been shot down in combat.
∼TMSI [2407]: M1221 — 8G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether
Bowman worked as a reporter for the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle and was also a member of the Montgomery county quarterly court from District Twelve and was well established in Magistracy work there in the 1930s.
Bowman was the grandson of Senator Gilfred H. Slaughter
—————
The Leaf-Chronicle (Clarksville, Tennessee), 13 March 1944, Monday
Bowman S. Meriwether
The tragic death of Capt. Bowman S. Meriwether, which occurred in an Army plane crash near Mobile Saturday morning, has shocked and grieved his many friends in this community. A former member of the editorial staff of the Leaf-Chronicle, Capt. Meriwether loved newspaper work second only to his chosen profession—flying. Two accidents in prewar days while he was a civilian failed to discourage him in what then was his favorite hobby. He continued to fly until he became an expert pilot. He staunchly believed in an almost unlimited future for aviation.
When the war clouds thickened, Capt. Meriwether resigned his position on the newspaper and became an instructor for the Knapp Flying Service. After Pearl Harbor, he volunteered in the U. S. Army Ferry Command and was commissioned a second lieutenant. For seven months he was stationed in Brazil and volunteered for more than one dangerous mission.
Returning to the States, he was transferred to the U. S. Army Service Command and was stationed at Brookley Field, Mobile, Ala. Part of his duties involved testing plane's after changes had been made. It was on such a flight that his fatal crash occurred.
Only a short while ago Capt. Meriwether was offered the rank of major in an administrative capacity, but he could not have flown. Rather than give up the skyways, he chose to remain where he was.
Montgomery County has lost a good citizen and the Army has lost an able and conscientious airman in the death of Bowman Meriwether. He gave his life for his countiy just as truly if he had been shot down in combat.
∼TMSI [2407]: M1221 — 8G-Grandson of Nicholas Meriwether
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