Starley Lucile (Parker) Bower

Starley Lucile (Parker) Bower, of Garland, passed away in Garland on Saturday, November 20, 2010, after a brief illness of only a few days, at age 89. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, November 26, 2010, at Faulkenberry Cemetery. The family will have visitation at the Groesbeck Funeral Home on Friday morning one hour before the graveside service. Starley was born on January 8, 1921 to John Starley Parker and Mrytle Mills Parker at Groesbeck, in the home of her grandparents, Alf and Sally Mills, on East Navasota St. She graduated from Groesbeck High School, and after working a short time in Galveston she moved back to Groesbeck, where she met Vernon Bower on a blind date. Starley and Vernon were married in Groesbeck on September 13, 1946, while he was a student at Texas A & M. His years at A&M had been interrupted by his service in the Army during WWII. When he started back to A&M, they lived in Groesbeck with her mother until Vernon received his degree, and their daughter was born during this time in Groesbeck. After he graduated, he had a career with Sears, during which the family traveled and moved to various locations. They lived the last thirty years in Garland. Starley was a homemaker, mother and grandmother, and her passion was her family. Mrs. Bower had been blessed with a healthy life, and had never been sick until this past week. She loved to read, including reading the Groesbeck Journal each week. She was a very sweet lady, and a loving and kind mother, who will be greatly missed by her loved ones. Mrs. Bower was preceded in death by her parents, and by her husband of sixty-two years, Vernon Neil Bower, who passed away on November 29, 2008. She is survived by two children, her daughter, Beverly Bower of Garland, and her son, Brett Bower and his wife Terry of Medford, New Jersey; four grandchildren, Deidra Webb and husband Steven of Frisco, Shannon Harvey of Garland, Jacob Bower of Medford, NJ, and James McCarthy of NJ; and two great grandsons, Carter Webb and Derek Webb of Frisco, TX.