Mrs. Mary Powers passed away Wednesday, Oct. 12th due to complications of lung cancer. She was at home surrounded by her children at the time of her passing. Mary was born on August 01, 1931 to William J and Ruby E (Brasmer) Bowler, the fifth of ten children. She was born in the same farm house as her father, the son of James Bowler, who had emigrated from County Cork, Ireland in 1861, and settled in Buffalo Township near Montello, Wisconsin.

Mary's parents, who had met in Butte, moved back to the Bowler farm in Wisconsin, during the Depression. In 1936, the Bowler family moved to St. Helens, Oregon, where her father was employed at the lumber mills. Mary attended first grade there at St. Edwards Parochial School. In 1942, prompted by her father's employment in the mines, the Bowler family moved to Butte. In 1945, Mary graduated from St. Mary's Parochial School and went on the attend Girls Central High School.

On April 23, 1948, Mary was wed to Matthew R. Powers in Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Together, they raised their family in Meaderville until the expansion of the Berkley Pit caused them to move to their home near St Ann's Catholic Church. They remained constant companions until his death in 2010. Mary was a member of St. Ann Parish for 51 years.

Mary was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her time and energy were spent maintaining a loving home for her family. Mary enjoyed her labor of love as a homemaker. Even her leisure time was spent at home, working in her yard. The summer of 2016 proved to be an especially wonderful year, as her yard was the most beautiful it had ever been.

In addition to her husband, Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her son, David Powers, in 2009; her sister, Helen Clark; and her brothers, Art, Bill, Jim, Pat, John, Dan, Tom, and Byron Bowler. She is survived, and will be missed, by her daughters and son-in-law, Ellen and William Davis of Spokane, Washington, Trudy Powers of Bellingham, Washington, and Elaine Powers of Butte; her sons and daughter-in-law, Richard and Sherry Powers, and Mike Powers, all of Butte; her daughter-in-law, Diane Powers of Livingston, Montana; her grandchildren, Barbara (Tom) Scriven, William (Julie Fender) Davis, and Lisa (Jim) Tucker, all of Spokane, Washington; Robert (Crystal) Powers, Richard (Brittany) Powers, Sara (John) Gilmore, and Andrew Moore, all of Butte; Michael Archer of Portland, Oregon, Margaret (Carlos) Aranda of Antioch, California, Chad (Chantele) Moore of Elko, Nevada, and Amanda (Danny) Green of Billings, Montana; and 29 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law, Betty Bowler of Butte, and Florence Bowler of Willits, California, numerous nieces and nephews, and her last surviving cousin on the Bowler side of her family, William Furseth, age 91, of Rockford, Illinois.

Friends are asked to join the family on Sunday after 3:00 PM in the Duggan Dolan Mortuary Chapel. Parish Vigil will be recited at 4:00 PM. Friends may call on Monday after 9:00 am in St. Ann's Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am. Rite of Committal will follow in the Mausoleum of Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Butte Sheltered Workshop or Highlands Hospice a program of Easter Seals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain Inc.