Patterson remembered as hardworking, community advocate.
By BRYCE MARTIN
Pioneer Editor | [email protected]
If you purchased a vehicle from Bowman Sales and Service in 1961 to 1989 there’s a good chance you knew Eldon Patterson — or more commonly by his nickname, Bus.
Cars and trucks played a large role in Bus’s life. He worked part-time throughout school at the Bowman Ford dealership, switched to full-time after graduating from Bowman High School and then became its owner, along with his brother-in-law, several years later.
The Bowman resident and active community member died July 28 in Bismarck at the age of 85 from complications of Stage IV lung cancer combined with heart troubles.
He was a man described by his loved ones as reserved yet deeply caring, well liked, and a successful businessman with an incredible memory.
Troubles with math homework brought Debbie Patterson and her future father-in-law together. She would marry Bus’s only son, Bert, years later but first met Bus while a sophomore in high school.
A self-described average student in math, Debbie was working on homework with Bert one night and when he couldn’t help any further, he summoned his father.
“It was a little scary, but funny,” Debbie said with a smile. She shared that story Tuesday night at Bus’s visitation.
Eldon Patterson was born May 27, 1931 in Bowman. He would later earn the nickname Bus from his father, Bert Harold Patterson, who would call him Buster Brown, after the cartoon. The name stuck but was shortened to Bus, as his daughter, Karla Stack, recalled.
In high school Bus was an avid athlete but found interest in his father’s business at Bowman Sales and Service. He purchased it from his father in 1961.Along with his brother-in-law, L.D. Crocker, Bus owned and operated Bowman Sales and Service in Bowman for 28 years, until he retired in 1989.
Bus’s granddaughter, Anika Schaff of Bismarck, credited Bus and Crocker with helping to build Bowman Sales into what it is today, one of the largest businesses in the region. Though it had competition from a Chevrolet dealer for many years, Bowman Sales stayed strong, at one point being one of the largest auto parts dealers in the Upper Midwest.
Wayne Bergquist, Leo Heinrich and Patrick Rafferty purchased the dealership in May 1989. Bus stayed on for three months through the transition.
“I always liked Bus,” said Bergquist, who was a pallbearer at Bus’s funeral. “There’s no replacement for experience.”
Bus was the type of man that handled himself professionally and would always take care of his customers, Bergquist said, adding that the fine customer service was sort of his trademark.
Crocker handled the parts department while Bus sold vehicles. He could recite a vehicle’s VIN number from memory, not an easy feat.
Aside from his work at the Ford garage Bus also made a name for himself around the area as a community advocate; he loved his hometown of Bowman, according to his daughter-in-law.
He served as a Bowman County Commissioner for 12 years and held various posts around town, including serving as Grand Master of the local Masons.
Together with his wife, Zona, he raised five children, Bert, Karla, Janet, Candy and Dinah.
But there was heartbreak when Dinah was killed in 1983 at age 30.
“It took a big toll on his life,” Debbie commented. “It was really, truly so hard for him.”
He divorced Zona a few years later after a period of separation.
At that time he met Linda Martin and the whole family would soon after spend holidays together. The two never married but Bus considered Linda his “soul mate,” according to Debbie.
He remained active throughout the community and especially in his children’s and grandchildren’s lives.
Schaff, 36, remembered how her grandfather was when she would visit as a child.
“There was an old Coke machine at (Bowman Sales) and every time we visited, he would give us one,” she recalled with a laugh. “He would also let us drive his golf cart at the golf course.”
Bus’s stories, which apparently were often fabricated or exaggerated, were a hit with the frequent patrons of the former Crystal Bar in Bowman where Bus would spend a lot of time with friends.
One of his biggest loves in life was sports, particularly baseball. He played on the Bowman Blue Sox baseball team throughout his youth and he was asked to throw out the first pitch when the Blue Sox team was restarted years ago in Bowman.
Schaff found it interesting when she discovered her grandfather was a pitcher and her uncle, Bert, was a pitcher because that’s her position whenever she plays.
Those memories were rehashed this week as the family met in Bowman to celebrate his life and offer a final farewell.
Bus passed away with his daughter by his side. After his son Bert’s death from cancer in 2013, Bus experienced a series of heart problems and a stroke. He was most recently diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer and received hospice care.
Debbie said it was in Bus’s final years when he seemed to open up the most; he was typically reserved and didn’t often show affection, but he still had great charisma.
“I always said Bert’s charisma came from his father,” she explained. “They could both make people laugh and made them feel comfortable.”
Both were liked and respected in Bowman, she said. After the death of her beloved husband from cancer, Debbie said it was then she grew closer to Bus and “grew to love him more.” He always praised her to others as a sincerely special person.
“I will miss him,” she said simply.