William ‘Bill’ Ernest BowersWilliam "Bill" Ernest Bowers, 80, of Milford, formerly of Port Charlotte, Fla., passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021.
William was born on July 17, 1941, in Mishawaka, to the late Lynn Burnett and Sibyl Elizabeth Hutchison Bowers. On July 16, 1966, in Wakarusa, he married the lovely Dianna "Dianne" Jean Smetzer, who preceded him in death on June 21, 2010.
He is survived by his three daughters: Michelle (Sharon) Bowers-Gareis, of Barboursville, Va.; Melissa (Shawn) Bornman, of Milford; and Melinda (Robert) Dorman, of Henryville; and nine grandchildren: Cassandra, Krista, Amber, Joseph, Jack, Nathan, Brittany, Shelbe and Samantha; and two great-grandchildren: Benjamin and Hezekiah. He is also survived by his three sisters: Nancy Wiley, of Mishawaka; Linda Maynard, of Elkhart; and Judy Whitney, of Stanton, Mich.
He was preceded in death by three brothers: Paul, Raymond and Leroy; his parents and his wife of 44 years.
He worked at Vincent Bach and was a Kosciusko County chicken farmer. He was an entrepreneur in real estate and an estate auction enthusiast. He shared an eBay business with his sister-in-law, Dorothy Chute. He was a member of the American Legion Post 161 of Mishawaka and a U.S. Army veteran.
Services for Bill will be Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. at Chapel Hill Funeral Home, 10776 McKinley Highway, Osceola. Friends may visit from 11 a.m. until the time of service. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens with military honors.
