Dr. William & Mary Bowlus Elder Scholarship

The Fredericktown High School Alumni Association is pleased to announce that a scholarship has been established to recognize the careers of Dr. William & Mary Bowlus Elder. Their award will be the 41st "Freddies Helping Freddies" Scholarship.

Early Years and Education

Dr. Elder and his wife Mary grew up in Fredericktown and met each other in the sixth grade. Both were in the same class, the class of 1972. Mary grew up in town, and was involved in band, became a majorette and won the John Philip Sousa Award in her senior year. She completed her State FHA degree and was also valedictorian of the class. Bill was a farm boy, also involved in band and sports, and was a class officer. Both Bill and Mary were members of the Honor Society.

After High School, Bill headed off to OSU majoring in Microbiology and Mary attended Otterbein College seeking a degree in Education. Both graduated in 1976 with college degrees and were married in the summer of 1977. Bill began his medical school career as part of the charter class of the Wright State University School of Medicine. Mary began her teaching career with Highland Local Schools and then the New Carlisle Bethel local schools teaching 4th & 6th grades. Both graduated from WSU in 1980, Bill with a Doctor of Medicine Degree and Mary with a Masters in Education. Bill began his residency work with the Wright State Family Practice Residency Program in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Return to Fredericktown

Following residency, the couple moved back to Fredericktown in 1983, along with their young daughter Liz, where Bill started a practice in the community that had nurtured him through his youth. Their family was complete with the birth of Laura and Tim.

During the early years of her children's lives, Mary stayed home with them as Bill continued to build a strong family practice, first in their home and then in his office on Columbus Road. Bill served a number of area schools as team physician over the years eventually garnering a Freddie of the Year award for his work with the Fredericktown sports teams. After 25 years of service to area sports programs, the Ohio State Athletic Association also honored him.

Professional Achievements

Being a very compassionate man, Bill served as the local hospice director for over 30 years. It was some of his co-workers at hospice who nominated him for the Ohio Family Physician Award in 1994 which he went on to win. Later, in the same year he won the Ohio Rural Physician Award. In 1997 was nominated and then recognized as one of the "top ten" finalists for national Family Doctor of the Year. Bill also captured the hearts of most Fredericktown Citizens with his award-winning humorous entries of Tomato Show Floats over the years.

When Mary went back to work, she worked briefly at the Selover Library in Chesterville before becoming a library aide, and then a fully certified librarian with the Fredericktown Schools. She was chosen Teacher of the Year by her peers in 2006-2007. During Mary's time with the Fredericktown Schools, she wrote numerous grants, one in which she collaborated with Mayor Alan Kintner and the State of Ohio to help get several sidewalks put in around the areas leading to the new school building. She also served on the Board of the Public Library of Mt. Vernon and Knox County.

Community Leadership and Recognition

Bill mentored many students over the years and several went on to become doctors in their own right. He served as the Medical Society President and Chief of Staff at KCH. Both Mary and Bill have been recognized by Bill Harris and the Ohio State Senate for outstanding achievement and service to the Fredericktown Community. In 2012, Bill and Mary were honored to serve as Grand Marshalls of the Tomato Show Parade. Most recently Bill humbly joined the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Honor at Fredericktown Schools.

Faith and Family

Church has always played a central role in the lives of the Elder family. Bill and Mary attended the Fredericktown United Methodist Church, now the Cornerstone Community Church where he ushers and is a part of the Pastor Parish Committee. Mary currently directs the choir, leads a respite program called Buddy Break and helps teach Sunday School.

Bill and Mary are proud of their adult children: Liz, who is a child psychiatrist; Laura, an educator, who is a full-time mother to three children with special needs; and Tim, who works in the finance department of the Mt. Vernon Nazarene University. Bill and Mary enjoy spending time with their children, their children's spouses and their eight grandchildren.

Bill and Mary currently participate in the Fredericktown Historical Society. Faith and family values are important to Bill and Mary. They feel blessed to have grown up in Fredericktown and want to give back to the community where so many people positively impacted their lives.