James Marion “Buck” Rainwater, of Bowdon, Georgia, passed away on December 25, 2016. He was 82.

James was born on September 18, 1934 in Bowdon, Georgia to the late James Garfield and Nell Brown Rainwater. A lifelong resident of this area, he graduated from Bowdon High School in 1953. He was a veteran of the United States Army where he served in France during a time in which he said “not a shot was fired anywhere in the world.” Upon his discharge and return to the States, he enrolled at and graduated from John A. Gupton School of Mortuary Science in Nashville, Tennessee. He then returned to Bowdon where he, along with his wife, Martha, opened Rainwater Funeral Home in 1967. From then until his retirement, he worked to serve the people of Bowdon, West Georgia, and East Alabama community whom he cared for and loved greatly. 

James was an active member of the community and was a member of the Jaycees and Lions Club, Bowdon Lodge F&AM No. 206, where he received his 60 year member, and was past President of the Bowdon Athletic Booster Club. He was past Chairman and Member Emeritus of the Bowdon Hospital Authority and was a devoted member of Bowdon Baptist Church where he was a member of the Fellowship Sunday School Class. He was also a member of the infamous Downtown Men’s Club. As a professional, he was a member of the Georgia and National Funeral Directors Association.

James is survived by his wife, Martha Young Rainwater; his children and their spouses, Lee and Shannon Rainwater of Bowdon, Amy and Kele Sewell of Bremen, Georgia, and Alan and Traci Rainwater of Bowdon; his grandchildren, Sydney Golden, and her husband, Josh, Ben Rainwater, Blake Rainwater, Luke Rainwater, Will Rainwater, Carson Sewell, Grace Rainwater, Aileen Castro, Luis Castro, Nikole Dunn, Nicole Swanger, and her husband, James, and Laura Sewell; his great-grandson, Jackson Swanger; his sister and brother-in-law, Brenda and Jerry West of Bowdon; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Peggy Young of Heflin, Alabama; his nieces and nephews, Dean and Jennifer Robinson, Kay Wilder, Greg and Carol Young, and Patricia and Brian Reed.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Bowdon Baptist Church. Bro. Justin Richards and Bro. Darnell Teal will officiate. Mr. Danny Hutcheson will offer a eulogy. Music will be provided by Patsy Bentley and Bryant Turner and Kelly Murray. Lawrence Williams, Mike Mallory, J.T. Craft, Steve Prater, Josh Golden, and Greg Young will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be the Fellowship Sunday School Class, the BHS Class of 1953, and his friends from the funeral community. Entombment will follow in the Bowdon City Cemetery. Prior to the service, his body will lie-in-state at the church from 12:00 p.m. until the funeral hour.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 from 11:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m.

Flowers will be accepted, but those who wish may make contributions to the Bowdon Baptist Church Building Fund (205 Mill St., Bowdon, GA 30108) or the Bowdon Schools Educational Foundation (bowdoneducationfund.org).

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