Lowell James Bunyard

Lowell James Bunyard, 79 of Merkel, passed away on Saturday, January 7, 2023.  Arrangements are under the direction of Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut Street.  As per Lowell’s request, there will be no service or visitation.  You are welcome to stop by the house to pay your respects any afternoon this week or on the weekend.

Lowell was born in Santa Ana, California on March 31, 1943, to Lowell Newton and Elsie Mae Bunyard.  Lowell’s dad was a horse racing enthusiast and he followed him to various tracks with the horses.  Lowell ended up in El Paso and Ruidoso Downs, working in the morning, galloping horses for Joe Welch and in the afternoon, working on the Starting Gate Crew.  It was in Ruidoso that he would meet Jane Hallmark in 1969.  Lowell proposed to Jane on December 6, 1969, and they were married on March 21, 1970.  Two months later, they were off with the horses from New Mexico to Maine, West Virginia, Florida, and all places in-between.  In August of 1980, they would settle in Merkel and Lowell started working with the Hallmark & Bunyard Dirt Construction company.  He then went to work for the Water Utilities Department with the City of Abilene, retiring in 2005 after 11 years on the job.  Not enjoying retirement, Lowell drove trucks for Vic Corley and drove a trash truck for the City of Tye for 9 years, retiring from that job in February of 2020.

During their years in Merkel, Lowell and Jane would enjoy many years trail riding.  Lowell and his friend Jerry Byrd built a wagon together so he and Jane could ride the trails in their wagon.  They traveled to Paola, Kansas to purchase a team of mules for the wagon.

Lowell is survived by his wife Jane, brother-in-law Wayne Hallmark (Kim) of Enid, Oklahoma, brother-in-law Ray Hallmark (Ann) of Anson, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.  The family would like to thank to following people for their help and support the last couple of years; Roberta Graves, Dwain Hurst, John McCarty, Steve & Jeanina Cochran, Chuck and Evelyn Morse, Jerry Perkins, Zach Bilbrey, Bobby Votaw, the staff at Hendrick Medical Center South ICU and the staff at Hendrick Hospice.

Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.