Estel Bowers

Estel Lee Bowers, 82, formerly of Gordonville, passed away Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Missouri.

He was born June 3, 1932, in Buffington, Missouri, to John and Mary Jones Bowers. He and Betty J. Frazier were married Jan. 5, 1953, in Piggott, Arkansas.

He attended school in Gray Ridge, Missouri.

Estel worked 30 years for Mid-South Towing, retiring in the mid-1990s. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Fruitland. He enjoyed camping with Betty and was an avid outdoorsman. He liked to fish, especially at Montauk; and was also a proficient bow and rifle hunter, hunting deer, squirrel, raccoon, rabbit and quail.

Loving survivors include his wife of 62 years, Betty of Cape Girardeau; two daughters, Deborah (Jim) Schmidt of Marble Hill, Missouri, and Sheilah (Steven) Enderle of Rockview, Missouri; three grandchildren, Daniel Schmidt of Norman, Oklahoma, Shannon (John) Bening of Sanibel Island, Florida, and Jessica Schmidt of Fruitland; five great-grandchildren, Brittany Rogers, Leighton Duerksen, Harley Ledbetter, Sydney Wiggins and Lexie Reeves; and four siblings, Doris Bowers of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, L.D. (the late Clara) Bowers of Puxico, Missouri, Paul (Norma) Bowers of Rockford, Illinois, and Bernice (Larry) Tubbs of Mer Rouge, Louisiana; and a sister-in-law, Sherri Bowers of Sikeston, Missouri.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a grandson, Jeremy Reeves, who died Sept. 8, 2013; three siblings, Johnnie (Louise) Bowers, R.V. Bowers and Evelyn (Clarence) Carnell; a young sister, Nadine Bowers; and an infant brother.

Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral service will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with Joe Chesser officiating. A graveside committal service will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hagy Cemetery in Dexter, Missouri.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to the Alzheimer's Association or Searcy (Arkansas) Children's Home.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting mccombsfuneralhome.com.