Aenna Elisabeth (Libby) Bowe

Aenna Elisabeth (Belvin) Bowe, was born to Charles E. and Lola S. (Pruitt) Belvin on July 23, 1963, in San Francisco, CA. Libby, as she preferred, was the oldest of their six children.

Libby grew-up surrounded by the love of a big family; two parents, five siblings, two grandparents, four uncles, nine aunts and lots of cousins. She accepted Christ at a young age, her first church was Pruitt Chapel COGIC where her grandfather (Rev. Benjamin C. Pruitt) was Pastor. As a teenage and even earlier Libby dedicated herself to family, sacrificing to ensure her sister and brothers had the benefits of family structure. She was anchored during that time by attendance at Good Samaritan COGIC (Bishop German Ross).

Libby started high school at Encinal High School in Alameda, CA. She had very fond memories of times spent in Alameda and at Encinal. She maintained friendships from those years that continued throughout her life. Libby finished high school and graduated from Mount Diablo High School in Concord, CA.

On advice from a friend of her mother, and sight unseen, Libby went to Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, TX. At Jarvis she pledged and blossomed as a young lady of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Zeta Chi Chapter). Libby graduated college with a Bachelor's of Science in Chemistry and Minor in Mathematics. Libby had a passion for reading and learning, which led her to enroll and pursue graduate school at Prairie View A&M University.



At Prairie View, Libby met Oliver Eric Bowe. They became best friends, were inseparable, and after a year of intense dating Oliver E. & Aenna E. married on April 17, 1987. Their family started quickly with two sons born within four years; Oliver Nowell and Avery Belvin. Libby's love for family and desire for structure were a highlight of her life. Relocating five times in support of Oliver's career, Libby sacrificed and worked each time to quickly establish Home and create a network of close friends, that were like family for her sons, herself and her husband. With faith Libby diligently sought teaching ministries and solid churches in every new city; Morning Chapel MB Church in Memphis, TN (Pastor Calvin Whitlock), Shreveport Community Church in Shreveport, LA (Pastor Denny Duron), and for the past ten years Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX (Rev. Tony Evans).

Libby was uniquely able to combine her God given talent, passion, purpose and family role all together; she was a Teacher! Libby didn't seek a career as an educator but God blessed her gifts and opened door-after-door. Her first calling was Oliver and Avery. Libby employed old-school tactics like phonics and index cards, she read to them daily and took them on fieldtrips. Both sons were reading by three years of age, and both could count and do simple addition and subtraction before entering pre-school. In Cincinnati Libby reached out to an organization called Parents As Teachers to get tips on how to supplement what she was doing for Oliver & Avery. They were so impressed that she was immediately recruited and hired. In Memphis, she worked a year as a 6th Grade teacher for Memphis Public Schools before taking on her favorite teaching role as Elementary Spanish Teacher for multiple Harding Academy campus' across Memphis. In Louisiana Libby worked for the Shreveport Memorial Library (Wallette Branch) as an Assistant Librarian and Adult Educator.

Libby loved family, enjoyed people, and cultivated close friendships. Over the years she was PTA President (Memphis), an active member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. (Memphis Chapter), The Junior League (Memphis), Toastmasters International (Dallas), Crossroads Unit of National Association of Parliamentarians (Dallas), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc (Tau Rho Omega Chapter). Libby loved being an AKA, she was a Life Member and Silver Star.

Preceding Aenna Elisabeth "Libby" (Belvin) Bowe in death: a brother, Christopher Bennich Belvin; a sister Teola F. Belvin Martin (Lawrence - decd); her father, Charles Eugene Belvin; and her mother, Lola Sylvia Pruitt Belvin.

Left to cherish her memory: her husband, Oliver Eric Bowe of Dallas, TX; Two sons, Oliver Nowell Bowe of Dallas, TX and Avery Belvin Bowe of Houston, TX; Two sisters Charlette Eugenie Belvin Broxton (Redell) of Chicago, IL, and Maxcine Belvin Jackson (Nathaniel) of San Francisco, CA; Three brothers: Charles E. Belvin, Jr. (Natalie) of Dayton, OH, Marcus Belvin (Tiya) of San Francisco, CA, and Peter Belvin (Justine) of Oakland, CA; One Uncle: Bobby Pruitt of San Francisco, CA; Seven Aunts: Janice Pruitt Rutland (Clarence) of San Diego, CA, Mary Ann Pruitt of San Francisco, CA, Letha Pruitt of Oakland, CA, Retha Pruitt of San Francisco, CA, Juanita Pruitt Lawson of South San Francisco, CA, Celestine Pruitt Seals (William Sr. - decd) of Fremont, CA, and Arzella Pruitt Baker (Ken) of Union City, CA and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Aenna Elisabeth (Libby) Bowe, please visit our floral store.