OBITUARIES

Bennie Louis Tidwell

Published

1 year ago

01/05/2024

Bennie Louis Tidwell
December 25, 1944 – August 27, 2023
BOWIE -Bennie Louis Tidwell, 96, passed away peacefully at his home on Jan. 1, 2024.
Family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 5 at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie.
Funeral service will be at 1 p.m. on Jan. 6 at the First Christian Church in Bowie with Pastor Kristi Hand officiating. Burial will follow at Salona Cemetery in Bowie.
Bennie was born in Montague County on his family property near Salona on Nov. 5, 1927 to Ben and Ada Tidwell. He graduated from Bowie High in 1945 and was a faithful Bowie Jackrabbit all his life. He is on the Bowie High Hall of Honor as well as the Texas Tech Ring of Honor. Bennie was on the football field when the Army called him into service. He served 18 months in Korea. He was discharged in 1948 after typing his and others paperwork.
Bennie married his high school sweetheart Doris on Aug. 27, 1949. They were married for 70 years. He graduated from Midwestern College in 1951 with a teaching certificate, intent on becoming a coach. After working various jobs (movie theater, roustabout, YMCA) to put himself through college, he was offered a job as a landman with Texaco. He was proud to say he bought oil and gas leases in all 254 counties in the state of Texas and some in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado and Pennsylvania. He retired from Texaco after 40 years in Fort Worth, Wichita Falls, Richardson, Amarillo, Midland and returned to Bowie to take care of aging parents.
Although he began his life as a farmer taking their crops to Fort Worth, Dallas and Wichita Falls and raising chickens and turkeys, he prided himself on changing the farm to a ranch with over 100 head of cattle at one time.
He and his wife’s greatest joy was their family. They raised two daughters, three grandchildren and two great grandsons. They were involved as youth leaders, band sponsors and athletics of every kind. No matter who they were there to support, they were there 100%. They also traveled near and far to attend many events and showed their support.
He attended various First Christian churches for 70 years and was an elder in the Midland and Bowie churches. He loved working at the ranch and in town in his yard. You could always find him digging, pruning, mowing, fertilizing and watering something. In his younger years he enjoyed hunting, fishing, square dancing, playing bridge and dominoes. After his wife died, he became the unofficial groundskeeper of the Salona Cemetery.
He loved to tell stories and was a great storyteller. He never met a stranger and was always quick to ask “Where are you from?” His family categorized his stories an “A” true and “B” embellished.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Doris.
Bennie is survived by two daughters, Janis Weseman and husband Gary, Sunset and Tricia Deaton and husband Steve, Lubbock; three grandchildren, Derek Deaton, Houston, Lynsey Flores and husband Trey, Wolfforth and Audra Dockrey and husband Weston, Austin; two great-grandsons, Thomas Flores and Patrick Flores, Wolfforth; and various nieces, nephews and cousins.
Should friends desire, memorials can be made in honor of Bennie Tidwell to Salona Cemetery c/o Jo Kleinhans at 294 Kleinhans Bowie, TX 76230.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
Paid publication

OBITUARIES

Gary Leo Fergueson

Published

2 weeks ago

04/23/2025

bowienews

November 11, 1944 – April 19, 2025
BELLEVUE – Gary Leo Fergueson, 80, died on April 19, 2025.
A graveside service will take place at 11 a.m. on April 24 at Vashti Cemetery with Michael Brannon and Jeff Brannon officiating.
He was born on Nov. 11, 1944 to Vera (Chappell) and Lewis Fergueson. He worked in the food and grocery industry at multiple store chains beginning in Fort Worth and ending in Bowie. He also worked as a rancher at his family farm in Vashti. Fergueson proudly served his country in the United States Army, he completed his basic training in San Fransico and was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Alta Fergueson Brannon.
He is survived by his nephew, Jeff Brannon; niece, Krista Brannon Blackrock; brother-in-law Michael Brannon and a very special friend of 60 years, Helen Ulbig.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.

OBITUARIES

Dr. Calvin Charles Carmen

Published

2 weeks ago

04/23/2025

bowienews

November 8, 1939 – April 19, 2025
BOWIE – Dr. Calvin Charles Carmen, 85, died on April 19, 2025 in Bowie, TX
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on April 26 at the Bowie First Methodist Church. Interment will be at the DFW Military Cemetery.
Dr. Carmen was born Nov. 8, 1939 in Niagara Falls, Ont. to Florence Delia and Charles Carmen. Dr. Carmen attended New York schools until 1957 when he dropped out to join the Navy at just 17 years old. While in the Navy, he completed high school and was selected for officer candidate school. He graduated with the rank of second lieutenant and served as a communications officer aboard the naval battleship USS Hailey for four years. He later served as a naval reserve chaplain.
Dr. Carmen received his bachelor and master degrees from Central Bible College, and his Master of Divinity from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Springfield, MO. He then earned his PhD in clinical psychology from Union Graduate School. As a clinical psychology intern at the Tufts University Behavioral Health Unit in Boston, MA, he received a commendation for outstanding service to his patients. He completed his postgraduate studies at Colgate Rochester Divinity School. Dr. Carmen served as pastor of South Park United Methodist Church in Buffalo, NY for nine years, and was pastor at Plymouth Bay Assembly of God in Pembroke, MA for an additional nine years.
Dr. Carmen then accepted the position of clinical director at Houston Medical Center. From there, he established Dr. Carmen and Associates, a practice serving the greater Houston area. He was then called to initiate a graduate counseling and psychology program at Nelson University (formerly Southwestern) in Waxahachie. There, he authored textbooks on counseling, psychology and the Christian faith.
Nelson University awarded Dr. Carmen both the distinguished professor award and professor emeritus award. He was a member of The American Association for Counseling and Development, the Christian Counselors of Texas, the American Psychological Association, and Psi Chi, National Honor Society. Dr. Carmen served several years as a member of the Texas state board of certification for licensed professional counselors. At his passing, he was the associate pastor of Bowie First Methodist Church.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Charles Carmen.
He is survived by his wife, Annette (née Gruppo) Carmen; daughter, Noelle Carmen; son, Benjamin Carmen and nine grandchildren.
Donations will be gratefully accepted to Nelson University on behalf of the Dr. Calvin C. Carmen Counseling and Psychology Scholarship Fund online at: nelson.edu/give.
Arrangements through the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie.

OBITUARIES

Daniel Morris Butler

Published

2 weeks ago

04/23/2025

bowienews

January 28, 1940 – April 8, 2025
CANYON LAKE – Daniel Morris Butler, 85, died on April 8, 2025.
A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on May 3 at the White Family Funeral Home in Bowie. Burial will follow at Hopewell Cemetery in Stoneburg.
He was born on Jan. 28, 1940 to Lena (Lyons) and Dave Butler. He married the late Barbara Jameson Nov. 23, 1964, in Houston. Together they raised three children. He worked as an electrician at Mauch Electric and later owned and operated DB Electric from 1989 to 2002.
He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Barbara Butler and son, Kenneth Patrick Butler.
He is survived by his children, Diana Craig and James Butler, both Canyon Lake; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie, Texas.