Obituary
Funeral services for Butch Gardner, 76, of Portales, will be held at 2:00 PM, Wed., Jan. 29, 2020 at the First United Methodist Church in Portales with Rev. Buddy Moore and Curtis Allen officiating. Burial will follow in the Causey Cemetery with Vince Gardner, Cooper Gardner, Jett Sharp, Coy Burruel, Jimmy Tillman and Joe Pinedo serving as pallbearers. Doug Brakebill, Todd Durham, Braden Vaughan, Aaron Vaughan, Matt Gardner, Marcus Gardner and Lowell Gardner have been named as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive guests at the funeral home on Tues. evening from 5 to 7 PM. Those desiring to make memorial contributions may send them to the New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home, P O Box 629, Portales, NM 88130.
Belvin Robert Gardner, known to virtually everyone as Butch, was born Sept. 18, 1943 in Portales, to the home of Mildred (Corbin) and Eugene Gardner, and died early on the morning of Jan. 27, 2020 at his home in Portales. Butch grew up in Causey, and graduated from Causey High School in 1961. He began working as a sales representative for American Breeder’s Service, and continued in that career until 2018 when he finally retired. In addition, for 25 years, he owned and operated the Portales Locker Plant. Butch served on the Roosevelt County Fair Board for many years, and helped countless young people with their Dairy Heifer projects to prepare for competition at the fair. He also served on the Roosevelt County Water Co-op Board in its early years.
On June 19, 1965 in Muleshoe, TX, he was married to Marilyn Thomas. They were blessed with two children, a son and a daughter. Among his other interests, Butch bred, raised and raced horses. He also enjoyed doing woodworking, and had built numerous pieces of furniture for various family members, and specifically built a toy box bench for each grandchild. Butch enjoyed quail hunting and fishing, and hardly ever passed up a game of 42. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church.
He is survived by Marilyn, his wife of nearly 55 years; his son and daughter-in-law, Troy and Kim Gardner of Portales; his daughter and son-in-law, Sharla and Cyle Sharp of Clovis, NM; four grandchildren, Jett (Seasons) Sharp, Belynn (Coy) Burruel, Vince Gardner, and Cooper Gardner; four great-grandchildren, Lucy and Jasper Sharp, and Joplin and Indie Burruel; his mother, Mildred Gardner of Portales; a brother, Rodney Gardner of Lubbock, TX; four sisters, Patricia Brooks of Clovis, NM, Bonnie Brakebill of Bandera, TX, Frances Bilberry of Portales and Tracy Vaughan of Fredericksburg, TX; and his closest friend, Jim Tillman of Clovis. Butch was preceded in death by his father, Eugene Gardner, a brother, Larry Gardner and a sister, Beverly Durham.
Visitation
Tuesday
January 28, 2020
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Wheeler Mortuary, Portales
Funeral Service
Wednesday
January 29, 2020
2:00 PM
First United Methodist Church (Portales, Wed)
