Myrtle Berry Bowers

Myrtle Berry Bowers, 92 of 500 Lenoir Rd., Grace Ridge, Morganton, NC died Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at Grace Ridge Health Care Center. Born in Morganton on December 4, 1913, she was the daughter of the late Robert Lenoir Berry and Mary Lou Lowdermilk Berry. Three sisters, Ora Lee Elmore, Ethel Rader, and Myrtie Clarke, and two brothers, Joseph Berry and Carl Berry preceded her in death. Her husband, Tuxie D. Bowers died in 1972. The couple co-founded Tux Bowers Motor Company in 1941 where she worked as a bookkeeper. Beginning in 1962, Mrs. Bowers took the position of official hostess of Morganton and Burke County in the newly created service provided by Burke Dairy. She was very active in community activities. Myrtle was a past President and the last surviving charter member of the Morganton Garden Club. She held a life membership in the North Carolina Garden Club and the North Carolina Lions Association for the Blind. Mrs. Bowers served as President of the Morganton Lioness Club. She was a member of the League for Crippled Children and the North Carolina Association for Retarded Children. She served two terms as President of the Morganton Women’s Club and started the club’s building fund and International Affairs Department. Mrs. Bowers was honored with an honorary life membership from the Women’s Club. In 1985, Myrtle was presented with the Human Rights Award from the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is. Along with her many civic activities, she was a devoted member of the First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school, served as Superintendent of Training Director of Women’s Missionary Union and served in numerous other positions.

Mrs. Bowers is survived by a daughter, Jane Bowers Greene and her husband, John of Morganton; grandchildren, Teresa Greene Norman and husband, Dan of Blowing Rock, NC, John D. Greene, Jr. and wife, Connie of Morganton; great-grandchildren, Ashley Norman Smith and husband, Jeff of Lexington Park, MD, Lydia Norman of Raleigh, NC, Jim Norman of Boone, NC, Ben Norman of Greensboro, NC, Haley Greene of Wilmington, NC, and Kerri Greene of Morganton; and a great great-grandson, Jacob Ryan Smith of Lexington Park.

Interment will take place at 10:00 AM, Friday, March 17, 2006 at Forest Hill Cemetery. The memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, at First Baptist Church with Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Bland, Jr. and Rev. Bob Shepherd officiating. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, 502 West Union Street, Morganton, NC 28655. Sossoman Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.