BETTERTON — On a balmy Saturday night, family and friends of the late Bruce Owens honored his memory with a raucous bus trip to Cowtown Rodeo in New Jersey; a place he loved.
Owens was a firefighter for 50 years joining Betterton Volunteer Fire Company in 1971. During those years he was a driver, instructor, House and Hall Manager and was on the Board of Directors.
He worked in home construction and remodeling and had a reputation for always showing support for his friends, family and neighbors.
Cowtown was about an hour away, a small distance to travel for such a dynamic figure. The bus was courtesy of Prince Limousine.
Owen’s daughter, Jessica provided a toast on the bus to him, saying, “I used to come here multiple times as a kid. It’s a part of my childhood. This is for you, Dad.”
Why Cowtown?
It’s fun for one thing, which was a key element of Owen’s personality when talking to people on the bus. Country folks, in the rural element, enjoying beverages, adult or otherwise, scuffling about, cheering on their favorites from around the U.S. Women wore cutoff jeans and boots, while guys donned cowboy hats.
It’s a different universe from its surroundings in New Jersey.
Families enjoyed a variety show in the sand too with rodeo clowns. Kids cheered while the clowns attempted to volley a giant beach ball back in forth.
The commentators kept it fun with jokes throughout and finding ways to keep the audience participation high.
Others appreciated the range of technique, expertise and skill involved in staying on bucking horses, roping calves and riding surly bulls. There’s a true art to that, and courage involved to be willing to get knocked down and tussled with in the dust by stamping animals.
Like participant Rosie Williams, who has a long history in the rodeo lifestyle. She met her late husband, George Williams at Camp Pendleton in California. She exclaimed then there was a rodeo every Sunday night, where she watched him perform.
While taking in the sights this night, she used her knowledge about the rodeo to inform her friends about the intricacies behind the feats.
She credited learning how to ride and rope as a better education for life than anything else she’s experienced.
The bull riding ended the night with a rousing applause.
Throughout the program, every seat was filled as well as people standing. This is their regular attendance so it’s no wonder Cowtown Rodeo can boast it’s the longest running weekly professional rodeo in the USA, started in 1929.
People exited with smiles on their faces, although some with exhaustion too. It’s a long, hot and exciting day.
Owens would have appreciated that according to his granddaughter Kaylee Owens.
“He had a great sense of adventure and humor.”
Kaylee was one of those smiling as she rejoined her family and friends on the bus. Unlike her mother, Kaylee never really got the opportunity to go on this trip with Granddad. It made it extra special for her.
“This was the best night I had in a long time. Doing something for Pop,” Kaylee said.
Besides his daughter, Owens had also taken close friends to Cowtown like musician Gerry Werner and his wife Linda, organizers of this event.
While leading the weekly Open Mic night, Werner had announced to people that he was getting up a trip in Owens’ honor to remember the fun times they had.
Werner knew Owens as a kind man, who would go out of his way to help his neighbors.
On the bus trip there and back, folks shared all the different personalities of Bruce Owens.
Resident of Betterton, Vernon Bontrager added, “He was a sociable, Betterton man.”
Bontrager said that Owens liked to joke and rib.
Thomas Larrimore pointed out he knew what to say and when to say it, while being self-deprecating.
Some embodied Owen’s personality such as eight-year-old Silas Larrimore who got on the bus, face-beaming, ecstatic over the bull riders.
At 11:30 p.m. the bus came to a halt unloading passengers at the Betterton Volunteer Fire house.
Werner thanked everyone for participating. “It was really great, but the factor for people deciding to go was Bruce. Bruce made an impression on a lot of people.”
For Jessica, the trip was bittersweet because she missed her father, who died of lung cancer on May 10, 2023.
“I’ll never come back here again without him,” she acknowledged.
But the trip was special for her, as everybody who knew Owens, missed him.
The tribute in Owens obituary couldn’t have stated it any better:
“He was always willing to help anyone who needed help, was loved by many, and will be missed by many. He gave of himself with no expectation of return. Bruce was known for his witty and sometimes bawdy sense of humor and jokes, his caring nature, and all who knew him said he could ‘sure tell some stories.’ He could always make you laugh.”
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