A look back in time – December 1960

60 Years Ago

Around Town

December 21, 2020 - 9:26 AM

Thomas H. Bowlus, 87, president of Allen County State Bank and one of the community’s leading citizens, died Dec. 17 at Allen County Hospital where he has been a patient for the past four weeks. Mr. Bowlus was born here Jan. 3, 1874, the son of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Bowlus who played leading roles in Iola’s early development. At 21, he joined his father in the Allen County State Bank, and became its president after the death of his father in 1904.

Thomas Bowlus

Thomas Bowlus continued to be active in the management of the bank until a few weeks before his death. Throughout his long career Mr. Bowlus was a leader in Iola’s civic affairs although he did not seek public office after he became president of the bank. Mr. Bowlus was a man of many benevolences although few of them were known to the public. In recent years he donated the site occupied by Allen County Hospital, gave First Methodist church its new organ, and paid most of the cost of electrifying the old courthouse clock on the south side of the square. He was active in Kansas banking organizations.

******

John Lyman Sleeper, 49, Iola furniture dealer and funeral director, died yesterday, Dec. 20, in the wreckage of his own funeral car when it plunged over an embankment on I-35 southwest of Olathe. The accident occurred about 2 p.m. No other vehicle was involved. Sleeper was returning to Iola after having taken the body of Thomas Bowlus to Kansas City for cremation. It is assumed he fell asleep at the wheel.

Related
July 24, 2023
June 27, 2023
May 12, 2022
April 22, 2022