MIKE BOWLING
VANOSS-Memorial services for Michael John "Mike" Bowling, 65, of the Vanoss and Ada area are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ada, Rev. Rusty Hewes will officiate. A Wake Service will be 6:00 p.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church.
Mr. Bowling died Sunday, March 10, 2013 at an Oklahoma City hospital. He was born October 13, 1947 in Sycamore, Iowa to John and Mary Cornelia Cremer Bowling. During his childhood, he and his family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado. His father was in the livestock business and Mike grew up working cattle and horses. He graduated from high school in Colorado Springs and attended Casper Junior College in Wyoming and Colorado State University in Pueblo. After leaving college, Mike began competing in the PRCA Rodeo from coast to coast in saddle bronc riding, bulldogging, calf-roping, team roping and single steer roping events.
Mike loved the rodeo life and was the nephew of rodeo producer Leo Cremer. Mike loved that his heritage was rich with rodeo. It was during his rodeo days that Mike supplemented his rodeo income by "cowboying" on ranches throughout the country, such as the Antlers in Montana, the Pedersen Ranches east of Billings, MT and in Nevada.
In 1976, he owned and operated a ranch in Miami County, Kansas. He met and married Cindy Shand on April 30, 1988 in Miami County, KS. They were married for 25 years. Mike and Cindy moved to the Ada area in 1993 and continued ranching until 2002. Together, they started Dry Creek Hatters, maker of high quality custom felt cowboy hats. Mike "hatted" a good portion of the cowboys in this area and across the country. This business continues with Cindy and Jacob.
Mike was a colorful and fun-loving character. He loved telling stories from his past and never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Mike never met a stranger. Upon meeting someone new, he had a gift of finding a mutual acquaintance within the first five minutes of conversation. He loved to talk about pictures from his past and always told people that if he had to do it over again, he would have taken more pictures. One of his favorite lines was "In the end all you really have is your story."
He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, a member of the Knights of Columbus, the American Quarter Horse Association and a Gold Card holder of the PRCA for 48 years.
Survivors include his wife, Cindy Bowling, of the home; his sons, Jacob Bowling, of the home, and Roy Bowling and his wife Laura of Midland, TX, five grandchildren, Kate, Nate, Clara, Madeline and Mary of Midland, TX; daughters, Michelle Bowling Burns and her husband Shawn, and Kasey Bowling and fiancé, Trinton Tippet of Ada; his sisters, Pat Cuddy of Santa Ynez, CA, and Dorothy Ott and her husband Bob of Reed Point, MT; and his brother, Tom Bowling and his wife Becky of Las Vegas, NV.
Bearers will be Roy Bowling, Tom Bowling, Casey Rindal, Matt Faudree, Justin Foust and C. J. Urbanek.
The family says those who wish may make memorials to the Cowboy Crisis Fund, P. O. 243, Fittstown, OK 74842.
Obituaries may be viewed and online condolences sent to criswellfh.com.