Ben Raymond Downen

Services for Ben Raymond Downen, age 89, of Moscow, are 1 pm Sat., Oct. 1 at Shackelford Funeral Directors chapel in Bolivar with burial in Parrans Chapel Cemetery near Bolivar. Visitation is Fri., Sept. 30 from 5 until 9 pm and Sat. from 10 am until 1 pm. He departed this life Wed., Sept. 28 at Baptist Hospital East.

The widower of Clarice Williams Downen, who died December 13, 1992, he retired in 1966 from the US Navy as a Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class and had owned several service stations after retirement. He also worked as a commercial painter and at Western Mental Health Institute for 2 years. He was born May 25, 1927 in Hickory Valley, son of the late Murray and Hattie Williams Downen and lived in Memphis and in Fayette and Hardeman Counties except for his time in the US Navy, which totaled 23 years. While serving his country, he was in three wars, World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War, and survived 3 different liberty ships sinking underneath him. He was a Southern Baptist in belief.

Survivors include a daughter, Wanda Gail Downen of Memphis; two sons and their wives, Barry W. Downen (Vera) of Somerville and Mark S. Downen (Becky) of Hickory Valley; a sister, Katharyn Parker of Memphis; 4 grandchildren, John, Joseph & Brett Downen and Whitney Evans; 3 great grandchildren; and his loving companion, Mae Moore of Moscow, TN. In addition to his wife and his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter, Charlotte Ann, who was 6 days old; 3 sisters, Clestie Hopper, Agnes Rachilla, Hugholene Pennington; and 3 brothers, Ted, Warren and Julian Downen. Memorial contributions in Mr. Downen's name may be made to the First Baptist Church in Grand Junction, The Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org/donate), or the American Heart Association (heart.org/donate).