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ORAL HISTORY
Paula Byers
Bowens Island Restaurant
Paula Byers settled near Charleston to be close to the ocean. Her political support of Robert Barber was her first connection to Bowens Island Restaurant. After they became friends, Paula started visiting Robert’s family’s restaurant often. But she didn’t go for the food; she went for the experience. Over the years her experiences at Bowens Island have included helping to repair the deck, late-night swims in the marsh, and hosting the rehearsal dinner for her daughter’s wedding in the dock house; Robert Barber, an ordained minister, performed the ceremony. Years earlier, Robert’s grandmother, May Bowen, was the witness to Paula’s will. Robert drew up the document for her in his tiny law office in the back of the restaurant. It’s these memories that have endeared Paula to the place and the people of Bowens Island.