Emmit Owens

Emmit Owens (Uncle Bo), age 92, was born December 20, 1918 in Zebulon, GA. He made his transition February 22, 2011. Emmit is preceded in death by parents Jerry and Annie Mae Owens, five brothers: John, Early, Willie B., Charlie Owens and Bennie Eppinger. Two sisters, Rena Walker and Beatrice Hutherson; grandson, Talbert Townsel; and son-law, Lawrence Welch. After serving in WWII, he and his wife Mary moved to Columbus, Ohio. He worked for 37 years at Reliance Concrete Pipe Co., where he was the first African-American to become a supervisor. A strong Christian man, he and his family belonged to Pilgrim Baptist Church and then moved their membership to Christ Memorial Baptist Church. He was a faithful, loving husband and father. He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife of 70 years, Mary Reeves Owens; his daughters, Geneva (Herman) Hutcherson, Gwen Mendenhall and Patricia Tucker-Welch. His grandchildren, Sonja Hutcherson, Shari (James) Watkins, Rod (Mindy) Hutcherson, Natalie (Darryl) Joe, Sean (Kathy) Mendenhall, Shannon Mendenhall, Tara Tucker, and Tyson Tucker. He has 9 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren; sister, Lizzie Peoples, Rosa Mae Parks, Suzie Parks and brother, Jimmy Owens. Brother-in-law, Rev. O.J. (Helen) Reeves; sisters-in-law, Annie Laura Owens, Luella Eppinger, Olena Garland, Daisy Reeves, and Mary Reeves. He has a host of nieces and nephews from both the Reeves and Owens families that loved him as Uncle Bo. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his memory to Christ Memorial Baptist Church, 3330 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43227.