Iva May Bowen

Iva May Bowen Of Deposit, NY Iva May Bowen quietly passed through the gates of Heaven on the Monday morning of April 6, 2020. Upon her arrival, she was met by her sons, Walter (Scott) and Stacy (her infant), her brothers, Sidney, Albert, and Russell, and her parents, Olive (Garrison) and Riverous Criddle. Iva was the matriarch of an incredible and extensive family. She leaves behind her son, Steve, his wife, Ruth, and their four children, Christie (Glenn) Johansen, Schayne (Nicole), Tiffany (Dan) Miller, and Corinne (Shawn) Mills, and Steve’s grandchildren, Monica (Rodney) Spillane, Caitlin, Ian, Aubrey, Schayne, Alexa, Dyllan, Kayla, Collin, Shayna, and great grandchild, Harvey; her daughter, Cindy, and her loyal champion, Niki; her daughter, Becky (Jim) Tyson, their son Justin, and their granddaughter, Chloe; her daughter, Colleen (Bill) Harrison, and their children, Todd (Lynn), Holly, Kyle (Lisa), Lauren (Caleb) Smith, and Will and their grandchildren, Cassidy, Isabel, Paige, Melina, Ella, Juliet, and Noelle ; and her daughter, Claire (Matt) Congdon, and their children, Justine, Scott (Nikki), Taelor, Nick, Jordan, and Jobe, and a soon-to-be grandson, Lincoln. Iva, with her fiery red hair, held a passion for life. She graduated Valedictorian of her class from a little white schoolhouse in Thompson, PA. Iva was brilliant and loved to learn. There wasn’t an instrument that she couldn’t play or a card game she couldn’t master. Her talents of singing, playing the accordion, and dancing made her the life of the party. Her smile would light up the room, and she made everyone feel like they were special. Besides her own children, Iva leaves behind a legacy of nurturing many hearts and souls throughout her life. Growing up during the depression, Iva learned young how to stretch her food budget to feed many. And that she did. She always had a container of chocolate chip cookies, a big crock of soup, and fresh bread to share. Her cooking was known throughout her neighborhood and would draw many people to her table. Her table was always filled with a game of cards and lots of socializing. She worked extremely hard to support her family. Learning how to drive a forklift, she worked side-by-side with the men at the industrial plant, Celotex. They never doubted her ability to get the job done. When she could no longer handle the physicality of the job, she hung up her hard hat and started working at the Victory Market. She loved being able to see and visit with all the shoppers. She always made time for every customer. Iva had many loves in her life. Although none could compare to her children, Iva spent the last years of her life with Harold Karcher. Harold and Iva had many adventures, from casinos to Syracuse basketball and football games, to train rides. Iva felt very blessed to have spent her final years with Harold and his beautiful family. She treasured their memories. Only Iva’s family will be able to say goodbye to her April 11, 2020 on Saturday 11:00am at Evergreen Cemetery. Her family will have a celebration of her life at a later date.