Obituary of Othella W. Bowers

Othella Wendell "Butch" Bowers, Jr., age 67, died Sunday, December 11, 2011 at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. A Funeral Service will be held at 6 PM on Tuesday, December 20 at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, 501 W. Lawson Avenue, St. Paul, with the Reverend Steve Daniels, Jr. officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at church (5-6 PM.) Graveside Service with Full Military Honors will be held at 10 AM Wednesday, December 21 at Fort Snelling National Cemetery (meet at 9:45 AM in Assembly Area #2.) Serving as pallbearers will be Dyonne Bowman, Keith Ware, Darren Long, Marion Johnson, and Dennis Petty. Othella W. Bowers, Jr., (Butch) was born May 20, 1944 in Marianna, Florida, to Ola Mae Ward and the late Othella W. Bowers, Sr. As a young boy, he was raised in Greenwood, Florida. In 1959, Butch moved to Newark, NJ where he spent the rest of his teen years. As a teen he loved baseball and had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player until he injured his shoulder in a car accident. Butch joined the Army in 1965 when we was a custom machine and air compressor operator. He received the following medals: Good Conduct andNational Defense Service, and an Expert Rifle Handling Certificate. In 1967, he received an Honorable Discharge and moved to New Brunswick, NJ where he bagan working for Ford Motor Company. In 1968, he met and married the love of his life, Christine (nee Tatum) Bowers. Together, they raised seven children, along with grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Butch resided in New Brunswick NJ for 19 yeas until he relocated to Eagan, Minnesota in 1986, where he continued to work for Ford Motor Company in St. Paul, retiring after 24 years. Butch wa a very quiet man with a heart of gold. He was always extending a helping hand wereever it was needed. He was truly a sports fanatic as he loved all sports. He could tell you facts from baseball to boxing to basketball, and even tennis. He truly missed his calling as a Sports Commentator. He was the only person his family knew that could play cards by himself as if he were playing with four people. Butch became a member of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church where he accepted Christ as his Savior. He enjoyed going to church to hear the word, and most of all, hearing the choir sing. Butch was not only a wonderful and loving husband, son, brother, father, poppy, and grandfather, he was a great friend to many. He enjoyed helping others and spending time with his children and grandchildren. Butch was truly blessed. Although he has completed his earthly journey, he will forever remain in our hearts. He was preceded in death by his father, Othella W. Bowers, Sr.; the love of his life, his loving wife, Christine Bowers; and two children, Ronald Eugene Tatum and Bernadine Boatman. Butch leaves to cherish his memory, his mother, Ola Mae Ward; sons, Don L. Duran, and Solomon Boatman; daughters, Sabrina Jones (Dyonne Bownman) and Aja(Keith) Ware; sister, Toreather B. Long; nephew, Darren (Jackie) Otheella Long, and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, ralatives, and friends. Arrangements entrusted to the Spielman Mortuary.