Brenda Bowden

Brenda Ann Martin-Bowden passed away this week at her daughter’s home in Daleville, Alabama. She was surrounded by her family, filling her spirit with their love, sending her into her next life with their tender devotion to her loving memory. She leaves behind a family that loved her and will forever miss her. Brenda was born in Newport News, Virginia to Ruth Inez Eledge-Martin and Winton Wardell Martin, Jr. She grew up in York County, VA and attended York High School. She moved with her family and two young daughters to the Eastern Shore in the sixties where she meant and married Roy Bowden of Chincoteague, VA. They would move to Washington, DC and start a printing business where she was the bookkeeper, later she would get her certification in medical transcription and work in the medical records department of Northampton Accomack Shore Memorial Hospital (Currently Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital,) and Peninsula Reginal Hospital in Salisbury Maryland (currently Tidal Health.) She was a long- time cancer survivor, from the young age of 35 and she lived with the wounds of cancer for forty-one years, yet she never let it wear her down. She was excellent at crafting and art, crocheting, knitting and Diamond Art. She loved horses, the beach, cruising and sun on her face and sand on her feet. She ran a long race of survival, never giving up or giving in to the damage’s cancer caused to her body, but on November twenty-nine her body finally said, “It’s time to rest,” and she closed her eyes. She leaves behind two loving daughters, Dianna Lynn Polson-Kiley (Philippe,) and their children Susan Walker (BJ Walker,) Steven Kiley (Leighanne,) Shane Kiley (Kaitlin,) Samantha Beck (Casey,) and Stephanie Markle (Kyle.) And her daughter Dana Marie McGraw-Hodges, and her children Brenda Smith (Joey,) and Kelsey Trawick. Brenda also leaves behind to remember her lovingly twenty-two great grandchildren. In addition to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she leaves four sisters, Patricia Diane Martin, Joan Martin-Landon, Darleen Martin-Riley, and Teena Rose Martin-Taylor, and her sister-in-law Carol Bowden of Chincoteague Island, VA. Additionally, there are Several Nieces, Nephews and cousins. Brenda was preceded in death by her Husband Roy Bowden of Chincoteague, VA, her mother, Ruth Martin, also of Chincoteague VA, a brother Richard Martin of Chincoteague, and her father Winton Wardell Martin of Grafton, York County, VA She considered Chincoteague Island her home, and in July she will be returning home forever. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Brenda Bowden, please visit our flower store.