Somers teacher mourned by students, colleagues

By NANCY KIMBALL

Dawn Bowker was killed Thursday in traffic accident on Montana 82

The Daily Inter Lake

Dawn Bowker was an energetic outdoorswoman, a brilliant math teacher loved by her colleagues and sixth-grade students at Somers Middle School.

"She was an idealistic, awesome young person," said her superintendent, Teri Wing. "She had a lot of effect on the kids. She was avid, just a zest-for-life kind of girl," who spent her free time backpacking, biking, mountain climbing and canoeing.

"She was so active and energetic," Wing said through tears Thursday evening.

Today, she is very much missed by her fellow teachers.

"It's doubly hard for them," Wing said, "because it's a blow for them and they need to be there for the kids."

A Thursday morning traffic accident on Montana 82 killed the 27-year-old Bigfork woman.

Bowker died of head injuries when an eastbound truck collided head-on with her car on the Somers cutacross.

She was alone in her vehicle, according to Flathead County Deputy Coroner Brad Stahlberg.

So was the driver of the truck, who was flown to Kalispell Regional Medical Center by ALERT helicopter. He was said to have injuries that are not life-threatening.

A Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputy reportedly arrived shortly after the crash and used an extinguisher to put out a fire in one of the vehicles.

Other emergency services that responded included Somers and Bigfork fire departments, Kalispell Fire Department's ambulance, and Montana Highway Patrol.

The patrol is investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the truck driver's actions.

Bowker was in her second year of teaching math at Somers; this year she also took on a P.E. class. She had moved back from Colorado to be with her family, Wing said, and lived with her mother and brother in Bigfork.

On Wednesday, the day set aside every week for Discovery Days at Somers Middle School, Bowker had baked apple pies with her students.

"They were just beautiful," Wing said. "They baked them after school and the kids picked them up this morning, not even knowing yet that Dawn was dead."

It was 9 in the morning before Wing and the rest of the staff knew about the tragedy. They knew there had been a fatal accident on Montana 82, the cut-across road from Bigfork to Somers. They knew Bowker had not arrived at work. They knew the victim had been driving a Subaru.

Then they received the news.

"We were all pretty numb," Wing said of the decision to call in the quick-response student assistance team composed of school counselors from across the valley who step in on a moment's notice to help handle crises.

"Basically, we said we want to something and we need them to come and give us advice."

It was later in the morning before Wing received permission to release information about Bowker's death. She gathered teachers together at noon to let them know.

"This afternoon was a time for the teachers," Wing said. "Several of them were very close to Dawn."

On the advice of the crisis response team, the school phoned parents of the sixth-graders to explain the situation and ask them to talk with their children at home.

"We didn't want to send them off with that kind of information," Wing said, "especially since we don't know how many have vulnerabilities, which ones may have lost a parent or someone else."

This morning, administrators and the crisis team will meet with the teachers to see how they are doing and to update them on the family's plans.

Clergy from several denominations will be in the school for any children who may need to talk. The counselors will stay for as many days as they are needed, Wing said.

Services are pending. Wing said school will be canceled for the day when they are scheduled.