Jon's Hospitality

I was saddened to hear of Jon Bowerman’s death last week but oh what an adventurous and colorful life he had!

Jon was a longtime Fossil resident and the son of Bill Bowerman, one of Nike’s two founders. The Bowerman family goes way back in Fossil and Jon was somewhat of a legend. He was a Marine, a rodeo rider, an Olympic ski team coach, cowboy poet, horse trainer and a track coach at both Condon and Fossil high schools.

I met Jon about 18 months ago at the Wednesday community lunch in Fossil. He said that he read my column so naturally we started to talk about food. I asked “Do you have a simple recipe you’d like to share?” He immediately blurted out “Yes as a matter of fact, for $50,000 chicken. And then he invited me for a visit to demonstrate how to make the recipe.

As I pulled up in my truck, Jon stepped onto the porch to greet me. Into the kitchen we went and oh what a pretty sight! The regal Monarch wood stove, decked out in chrome, was definitely the queen of the kitchen and bellowed heat into one of the most inviting living spaces I had ever seen. From a rack above the wood stove hung a collection of cast iron frying pans, Dutch ovens, sauce pans and even a coffee pot. A rectangular farm table was set for two with cloth napkins, blue wineglasses, pretty dishes and silverware and a breadbasket. Jon said that he designed and built the house himself.

We made the chicken dish then sat down to a lovely lunch. He mentioned that he was writing his life story and being curious, asked if I could read the manuscript. That led to a series of visits where we would sit at his computer and read the story out loud. I made suggestions here and there. I was floored that one person could pack so many interesting and varied experiences into one lifetime. Jon plunged into life and it was six kinds of wild, especially his encounters with the Rajneesh.

Jon always went out of his way to make me feel welcome and truly knew the art of entertaining and hospitality. He ran menu ideas by me in advance so I could tell him what sounded good. A pot of coffee warmed on the wood stove and hot water waited to be made into tea. The meals were memorable and one in particular was extraordinary in its simplicity: baked salmon and a sweet potato loaded with butter. The pair created a perfect harmony of flavors and textures. One time he concocted a salad that was so delicious I made it several times after. My mouth waters now just writing about it: romaine lettuce, canned mandarin oranges, walnuts, marinated artichoke hearts, red onion and a vinaigrette made of apple cider vinegar and olive oil.

Jon was so much fun to visit with his warm hospitality, entertaining stories and culinary expertise. He recently reached an initial stage of completion with his book after working on it for several years. I hope the family publishes it. Jon, your life exemplified the Nike slogan “Just do it”. You definitely did it! Yay!