Alan Bowers
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photo by Michael Emrys
photo by Court Tefft
ALAN BOWERS Bowers, 45, of Jupiter, Fla., was "lost," said Karin Nickeson, who befriended him along with her husband, Denny, when they all found a common interest in music. "He cried all the time," Mrs. Nickeson said. Bowers was 25 when he first heard Marshall Herff Applewhite in 1975 in a seminar on UFOs at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. He became a follower for about eight years but broke away, said his sisters, Joy and Susan Ventulette. Struggles with divorce, the death of their younger brother, drugs and alcohol drove him back, they said. Their younger brother was killed in 1988 on a lobster boat off Connecticut. At the time, Bowers was in a courtroom, getting divorced and losing custody of his three children. Three years ago, Bowers moved in with Susan Ventulette in Martin County. He did odd jobs and watched TV, then he ran into a former member of the cult, thought it was "destiny" and returned to Heaven's Gate, his sisters said. "No one forced him to do this," Joy Ventulette said. "He was with them because he found an inner peace that he could not find in the outside, real world
Raymond Alan Bowers, 45, was a member for about eight years in the 1970's, then returned to Connecticut to his family's fishing business, his sister Joy Ventulett said. But when his brother drowned and his wife, with whom he had three children, served him with divorce papers on the same day, Mr. Bowers was devastated, his sister said. In 1992 he moved to Jupiter, Fla., where Ms. Ventulett and another sister lived. He worked as a guitarist, but began drinking heavily and using drugs. In October 1994 he was charged with possessing and selling cocaine. He left with the charges pending. In Arizona met a Heaven's Gate member he had known. ''He thought it was destiny,'' Ms. Ventulett said.
He called her in December 1995 ''to let me know he was healthy, he had lost a lot of weight, he wasn't drinking, there were no drugs,'' she said. ''He was learning computers and he was so thrilled about that.''
Alan Bowers
Alan and Kevin playing music. Alan more than likely singing the song that goes "I'm so in Love with you Honey".
Alan was a carpenter while on the land. He lived with Kathy Bartlett
He lived in his camper in our driveway on Big Tree Way for a brief time after the Land ended.
He was a gentle loving spirit.
Alan died with Heavens Gate in 1997. He first learned about” The Two”, at a seminar at Stanford while living on The Land.
He returned to Connecticut after the Land ended, married and had 3 kids.
He died with his Nikes on, the symbol for "Just Do It".
Patsy
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| Waiting for the Crops to Come Up |
photo by Michael Emrys
photo by Court Tefft
ALAN BOWERS Bowers, 45, of Jupiter, Fla., was "lost," said Karin Nickeson, who befriended him along with her husband, Denny, when they all found a common interest in music. "He cried all the time," Mrs. Nickeson said. Bowers was 25 when he first heard Marshall Herff Applewhite in 1975 in a seminar on UFOs at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. He became a follower for about eight years but broke away, said his sisters, Joy and Susan Ventulette. Struggles with divorce, the death of their younger brother, drugs and alcohol drove him back, they said. Their younger brother was killed in 1988 on a lobster boat off Connecticut. At the time, Bowers was in a courtroom, getting divorced and losing custody of his three children. Three years ago, Bowers moved in with Susan Ventulette in Martin County. He did odd jobs and watched TV, then he ran into a former member of the cult, thought it was "destiny" and returned to Heaven's Gate, his sisters said. "No one forced him to do this," Joy Ventulette said. "He was with them because he found an inner peace that he could not find in the outside, real world
Raymond Alan Bowers, 45, was a member for about eight years in the 1970's, then returned to Connecticut to his family's fishing business, his sister Joy Ventulett said. But when his brother drowned and his wife, with whom he had three children, served him with divorce papers on the same day, Mr. Bowers was devastated, his sister said. In 1992 he moved to Jupiter, Fla., where Ms. Ventulett and another sister lived. He worked as a guitarist, but began drinking heavily and using drugs. In October 1994 he was charged with possessing and selling cocaine. He left with the charges pending. In Arizona met a Heaven's Gate member he had known. ''He thought it was destiny,'' Ms. Ventulett said.
He called her in December 1995 ''to let me know he was healthy, he had lost a lot of weight, he wasn't drinking, there were no drugs,'' she said. ''He was learning computers and he was so thrilled about that.''