History's Window: Karen Bowers
Editor's note: Longtime historian Bob Gunter spent his life diving into history, capturing the people and places of the community, highlighting what made it special. Bob's tales would take the reader on a journey of someone in the community, sharing their life, their stories and celebrate what make each person unique. "Tell me a story,” he would ask the person - or two, or three, or as many as he could coax out of them.
Below is one such tale, where Bob would offer tantalizing clues and challenge his reader to guess "Who Am I?" Below are the stories he wrote about Karen Bowers, which originally ran in mid April 2006.
Part 1
I was born on August 9, 1945 in Los Angeles, California. My father and mother moved to Inglewood, California when I was 1 year old. I have one younger brother.
My preschool days were free and easy in Southern California. I remember wonderful vacations with my family. We would go to Balboa and Lake Tahoe, and I recall we did that until I was about 15 years old. Before I started to school my friends were all of my neighbors. We had the most incredible neighborhood for us kids. We played card games, monopoly, and we played on a jungle gym my dad built in our back yard. I lived in the same neighborhood all the way through high school, so I had all these kids that I grew up with, and were very close to.
I started the first grade at Daniel Freeman in Englewood. Elementary school was fabulous. I discovered boys early, in kindergarten, and like most girls, I had my little heart throbs. I was a good student, and I graduated from elementary school in 1957.
When in Junior High, my Girl Scout Troop went to Washington, D.C. and New York. I recall that we got to sit in Richard Nixon’s chair – he was vice-president at the time.
I went to Junior High in Englewood for two years, and then I went to Morning Side High School.
In high school, I belonged to every organization that emphasized drama and the stage. My favorite subjects were Spanish and Theater. I also enjoyed English and Modern Dance. There were about 1500 kids in school at Morning Side. I graduated in 1963, with the same kids with whom I had started Kindergarten.
After high school, I went to Long Beach State College for two years. I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, so every semester I would change my major. At the end of my second year at Long Beach State, I took a theater class. It was then that I knew where I belonged. I transferred to UCLA (University California Los Angeles) and got in the Theater Department for my junior and senior year. I worked on campus while I was in college. I received my degree from UCLA in 1969.
After graduation, I did various jobs. I taught pre-school, I worked in a nursery taking care of flowers and plants, I worked for an artist doing bookkeeping and shipping, and I was a waitress.
In 1970, I had the opportunity to come to Idaho. I lived and worked up here for over four years. I bought land in Cocolalla and I tree planted there. I fell in love with the area. I moved back to California, but I would visit here every summer. One summer, I met someone, and we were married in 1978, and we had two children. We later got a divorce.
I have been in my present position for 18 ½ years, and working with people is the best part of my job. [In April 2006]
Part 2
My name is Karen Bowers, and I was born in Los Angeles on August 9, 1945. My father was born in Sweden and his name was Eddie Anderson. My mother’s name was Marge. I have one younger brother, named Terry. When I was a year old, my family moved to Inglewood, California.
My pre-school days were free and easy in Southern California. I remember wonderful vacations with my family, and playing with all of the neighborhood kids. We played card games, monopoly, and hide and seek. We would play “dress-up,” and we played with our dolls. There was a neighborhood potluck, at someone’s house, almost on a weekly basis. I lived in the same neighborhood all the way through high school, so I had all these kids that I grew up with, and we were very close.
I started the first grade at Daniel Freeman in Englewood. I was a good student, and I remember all my early teachers, but none stand out in my mind. I graduated from elementary school in 1957.
I went to junior high in Englewood for two years, and then I went to Morning Side High School. In high school, I belonged to every organization that emphasized drama and the stage. I tried to go to every football and baseball game. My favorite subjects in high school were Spanish and Theater. I also enjoyed English and modern dance. I took a trip to Europe during the summer of my junior year in high school. I graduated in 1963, with the same kids with whom I went to kindergarten.
After high school, I went to Long Beach State College for two years. I didn’t know what I wanted to major in, so every semester, I would change my major. I tried sociology, anthropology, and political science. I was all over the place. At the end of my second year at Long Beach State, I took a theater class. It was then that I knew where I belonged. I transferred to UCLA (University California Los Angeles) and got in the theater department for my junior and senior year.
During my senior year, the school instituted an acting specialization major. I was pretty upset because that was my real interest, and I was already a senior. I went back to a sophomore status; got accepted as an acting specialization major, and went to school for two more years. I worked on campus while I was in college. I received my degree from UCLA in 1969.
After graduation, I did various jobs. I taught pre-school, I worked in a nursery taking care of flowers and plants; I worked for an artist doing bookkeeping and shipping, and I was a waitress.
In 1970, I had the opportunity to come to Idaho. I lived and worked up here for over four years. I bought land in Cocolalla, and I tree planted there. I fell in love with the area.
I moved back to California and lived in the Malibu Mountains during most of the 1970’s. My brother bought a place up here, and I would visit him every summer. One summer, I met Ted Bowers. We got married in 1978, and we have two children, Jenna and Darian. Darian moved back to Sandpoint a few weeks ago, and is working at Ivano’s. Jenna lives with me, and is working at the Winery. Ted and I are divorced.
I have done various jobs since moving to this area. I worked for Blue Sky Broadcasting; I was a writer for the Intermountain Post; I did the arts and cultural event calendar for the Idaho Arts Journal, and I was a co-owner and writer for the Sandpoint Winter Companion. I started working for the Panida Theater in 1987, as the manager. Today, I am the Executive Director and Manager of the Panida. I have been in my present position for 18 ½ years, and working with people is the best part of my job.
I belong to Angels over Sandpoint, and I am on the Sandpoint Arts Commission. In 2002, I received the Governor’s Award for “Excellence in Art Administration.”
I don’t have a lot of time for my hobbies. I love to dance, especially the Tango. I like Yoga, good films, gardening, and foraging for mushrooms.
(The following people recognized Karen: Sue Hatch, Evelyn Alford, Diane Newcomer, Valerie Wakeley, Jim Shirrell, Debbie Mende, and Jodie Bopp.)