Verner "Butch" Bowers was a Palacios community leader and a dedicated Longhorn. Born in Collegeport, his leadership and dedication to Palacios started in high school where he served as Class President throughout high school. After graduating from Palacios High School, he made his way to the University of Texas in Austin, where he graduated from college and then went on to the University of Texas School of Law.

In 1966, he moved back to Palacios and began his law practice with Eli Mayfield. He served Palacios as an attorney for almost 50 years, at least 40 of those years with his loyal assistant Rita Cepak by his side, who started working for him when she was in high school. His office housed the history of Palacios in real estate transactions and birth and death records. The son of a rancher and farmer, Butch looked forward to spending his retirement tending to his cows.

Butch was the Municipal Judge for Palacios for almost 40 years and served over 40 years as a Palacios Volunteer Firefighter, where he was named Fireman of the Year. Other organizations that benefitted from his leadership include the Matagorda County Economic Development Committee, the Palacios Economic Development Committee, the Palacios Area Fund, the Palacios Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, the Matagorda County Fair Association, the Palacios Recreation Association, the Rainbow Land Day Care Center Board, the Matagorda County Hospital District, and the Palacios Medical Foundation.

When Butch was awarded Man of the Year by the Palacios Chamber of Commerce, it was noted that Butch spent his life giving to and selling the town of Palacios and that he thinks of Palacios as he does his Texas Longhorns – the greatest things to happen to Texas. One of his proudest accomplishments was serving as the Chair of the Charter Commission for the City of Palacios' first charter.

Butch died peacefully at 75 after a battle with lung and heart disease, with his wife of 47 years at his side. Butch will be buried in his Longhorn game day attire. The family welcomes burnt orange at the funeral service. Be prepared to give this Longhorn one last "hook'em" before he rides off into that great big burnt orange sunset.

The welcoming party in heaven includes Butch's parents, Verner and Elva; his sister-in-law, Susan Bell; his nephews, Stewart and Rocky Flewellen; his good friend Cliff Elliott; and his canine companions over the years – Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Bentley and Pepper.

Loved ones left behind include his bride, the beautiful blonde from Wichita Falls, Nancy; his two dear daughters and their husbands, Allison & Aaron Hamilton and Christa & Mikey Saha; his precious grandchildren, Susie Hamilton, Cash Saha, and Casen Saha; his sister, Laverne King; and nephew and wife, Brian & Melissa Flewellen.

Visitation will be held Sunday, April 2nd, from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM at the Palacios Funeral Home. Services are Monday, April 3rd at 3:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Palacios. Burial will be at Hawley Cemetery. Homer Aparicio, Harold Bowers, James Cepak, John Chipman, Randy Hamilton, Tony Kana, Mike Saha, Tom Vivion and Jeff Vu will serve as pallbearers. A dinner for all friends and family will be held at Beneath the Oaks.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in Butch's name to the Volunteer Fire Department of Palacios, the Palacios Medical Center, or a charity of your choice.