George J. Bowers II
Missoulian, Tuesday, August 28, 1984
George J. "Shorty" Bowers II, 64, died at a Missoula hospital Saturday of respiratory disease.
He was born Feb. 1, 1920, at Edinburg, Va., to George J. and Pearl Bowers. He lived in Virginia until his father died when he was 10 years old. He then made his home with the C.D. Catrow Family at Martinsburg, W.V., where he attended schools and worked on the family farm. He served with the U. S. Army during World War II.
Mr. Bowers married E. Verne Proebstel on March 9, 1946, at Baltimore, Md. In 1951 they moved to Missoula, where he worked for the Burlington Northern Railroad as a clerk in the yard office for 30 years, until his retirement in 1961.
For many years Mr. Bowers enjoyed doing lawn and garden work for people in Missoula.
Survivors include his wife, Verne, Missoula; two sons, George "Jerry" Bowers III, Boise, Idaho, and Bill Bowers, New Brunswick, N.J.; Sandy Spitzer, Greenacres, Wash., Marcia Engles, Mililani, Hawaii, and Patty Clawson and Janice Jarvie, both of Missoula; one brother, David Catrow, Martinsburg, W.V.; nine sisters, Thelma Pitzer and Elsie Catrow, both of Martinsburg, W.V., Catherine Beeney, Newark, Ohio, Frances Finks, Edinburg, Va., Audrey Day, Mt. Jackson, Va., Hilda McCauley and Eva Mae Miller, both of Chambersburg, Penn., Catherine Miller, Williamsport, W.V., and Laura Bailey, Bunker Hill, W.V.; and eight grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Squire Simmons & Carr Funeral Home, with the Rev. Gale Fister officiating. Cremation has taken place at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Honorary pallbearers will be all of Mr. Bower’s friends.
The family suggests memorials be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Note: George Bowers was subsequently buried in the Catrow plot at Tuscarora Presbyterian Church according to Jim Smith.