Margaret Elizabeth Bowers, 96, resident of San Marcos, was born to John Duey and Martha May in McKinney on March 8, 1912. She graduated from Denton High School, attended North Texas State Teachers College and Texas State College for Women, where she earned a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education. Her first teaching position was in Port Arthur.

The summer of 1935 she met Victor L. Bowers, a graduate student and fellow Texan at Ohio State University where she was also doing graduate work. They married four months later and remained married for 67 years.

After moving to San Marcos in 1945, she became active in University Faculty Wives Club, American Association of University Women, Jr. Sorosis, Brownie and Girl Scouts and The Church of Christ. She completed a master's degree in Elementary Education at SWTSU in San Marcos and taught first grade in Kyle.

Her hobbies were fishing which she loved to do in No Name Creek from their cabin in Colorado, sewing and making quilts for her grandchildren, doing all sorts of craft work and collecting dolls.

Margaret is survived by two children, Betty Battle of Incline Village, Nevada and Martha Boggus of Richmond; grandchildren William M. Smith of Austin, Toni Lynne Johnson of Pearland, Timothy Lee Smith of Houston, Lara Henderson of Sugarland and Brian Boggus of Clearwater, Fla.; great grandchildren Nicolas and Andre Echeverry, Connar and Brad Johnson, Ananda and Kent Ellington Smith, Rachel and Sarah Boggus and Kyle and Kelly Henderson.

Margaret lived in San Marcos for 64 years; she resided at Merrill Gardens, in San Marcos from 1991 until her death from natural causes on Sept. 21, 2008.

Visitation is planned for Thursday, from 5-7 p.m. at Thomason Funeral Home, 2001 Ranch Road 12, San Marcos. Funeral services will be the following morning at 11 a.m. at Thomason Funeral Home. Interment will follow at San Marcos Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any memorial donations be sent to benefit the children's education department of Holland Street Church of Christ, 205 Holland Street, San Marcos, TX, 78666.