William "Bill" Elvin Fowler, 97, Harrisonville, Missouri, died Thursday, September 10, 2015 at his home. Memorial services will be held at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, September 17, 2015 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville with visitation from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Inurnment in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville. Memorial contributions may be made to The Shriner Hospital for Children, 4400 Clayton Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110.

Bill was born August 21, 1918 in Syracuse, Morgan County, Missouri, the son of Harrison and Naomi (Gulick) Fowler. He graduated from Syracuse High School in 1936 at the age of 16. While in high school, Bill started driving a cattle truck to St. Louis. From 1936-1940 he worked on the railroad gang and was still driving trucks to St. Louis. In the winter months, he hauled turkeys to St. Louis. In 1940 he worked for IGA grocery store as a butcher.

Bill married Margaret L. Perkins on May 23, 1941. They moved to Sedalia and he ran the Skelly Service Station at 5th & Osage. Bill started hauling trucks and equipment for Missouri Pacific Railroad from 1941-1943. From 1943-1946, he served in the Army Air Force and attended radio and gunnery school. While stationed in the Asian Pacific Theatre, he was with the Air Transport Command, hauling aviation fuel "over the hump" from India to China.

He moved to Harrisonville in 1947 and went to work for International Harvester as a mechanic and then as service manager and also became responsible for the western division for MKT Railroad Truck Line. In 1955, he bought Ford Tractor & Implement, then located at the present site of Harrisonville City Hall. He moved the dealership to 71 (Commercial Street) in 1957. He also had contracted with Stamper Co. Truck Line to haul turkeys. Bill sold the dealership in 1960. In 1961 he took a job with Citizens Bank as an assistant cashier. In 1962 he became Vice President and in 1963 the Executive Vice President. In 1973, the bank changed the name to Commerce Bank of Harrisonville and Bill became the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the board, retaining that position until he retired in 1985.

Bill was a member of Cass Masonic Lodge No. 147 and was Master in 1959; member and Worthy Patron in 1953, 1954 and 1958 of Bayard Chapter No. 179, Order of Eastern Star; member of York Rite; member of Ararat Shrine and was a Potentate's Aide in 1978, and was president of the Cass County Shrine Club in 1975. Bill was elected to the Cass County Hospital Board of Trustees in 1964, serving as chairman 1976-1984. He was a member and chairman of the Harrisonville Planning and Zoning Commission, Twin Pines Country Club, and the Cass County Information Center. He was a member of the Harrisonville United Methodist Church, American Legion and VFW.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, a sister, a brother, and his wife, Margaret on June 25, 1992. He is survived by two daughters, Mary Downey (Gary), Harrisonville, Missouri and Linda Podosek (Paul), Suffield, Connecticut; one brother, Paul Fowler and one sister, Josephine Faubion, both of Moberly, Missouri; 3 grandchildren, Darren Patterson, Christina Mehan, and Scott Podosek, and 4 great-grandchildren, Morgan Patterson, Aaron Patterson, Timothy Mehan, and Tierney Mehan; many nieces and nephews.