Bernhard Julius Bartels

Mr. Bernhard Julius Bartels, 100 of Snyder,TX died on Friday, November 29, 2019 at his home in Snyder.

Services for Mr. Bartels will be held on Tuesday, December 03, 2019, at 2:00 PM at First United Methodist Church with Reverend Kevin Phillips officiating. Internment will follow at Hillside Memorial Gardens. Services are under the direction of Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home.

Mr. Bartels was born August 26, 1919 in Holland, TX. One of seven children of Karl and Erna Bartels.

University of Texas graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Hired by Westinghouse in the early 1940's to work in their factory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While in Pittsburgh  he met Lois Wissinger at the Braddock Avenue Methodist Church. On February 27, 1943, they were married.

Around 1945 they moved back to Texas. After a brief stint in Dallas they settled on a farm in Borden County. By 1950 their first child, Roy, came along. In 1953 their second child Cynthia came along and they moved to a farm east of Snyder.

During the 1950's into the 1960's Bernhard was a Boy Scout leader in Snyder. In 1960 he was awarded the Silver Beaver. Recipients of this award are registered scouters who have made an impact on youth through service.

In 1962 the family grew and welcomed the addition of Erika and Lothar, adopted from and orphanage in Germany.

Bernhard farmed well into the 1970's, but in 1980 he retired from farming and added his name to the ballot for County Commissioner. He was elected, the first Republican elected in Scurry County. He served for four years but lost at reelection. He was appointed as County Auditor by a judge, serving in that post for two two-year terms. At 70, he retired.

To pass the time he developed a woodworking hobby. Many of his pieces are in homes & businesses around Snyder and Scurry County. He also logged a total of 5,000 hours volunteering at the Senior Center. Other projects include building a playground at the First Methodist Church; design of a trailer park for his son Lothar; building a pavilion at the horseshoe court at the Snyder Coliseum, and finally constructing a chapel in the Historic Village on the Coliseum grounds, completed when he was 91.

In addition to bowling and golf as hobbies, at age 80 he began competing in Swimming events and Horseshoe Pitching events with the Senior Games. In 2001 he participated in the National Senior Games in Baton Rouge. There he managed to win two Bronze medals, one in horseshoe pitching and one in swimming. He skipped the 2003 National Senior Games, but in 2005 he participated in the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh. There he garnered a gold for his horseshoe pitching and three golds in swimming. Since that time, he has amassed an impressive amount of gold medals. So many, in fact that the display wall built would not hold them all. His last senior game participation was the State Senior Games in San Antonio in 2018.

Bernhard is survived by his wife, Lois, to whom he was married for over 76 years, His children, Roy Bartels of Kerrville, Cynthia Bartels Sharp of the home, Erika Snyder of Denver, Colorado, and Lothar Bartels of Snyder. Grandchildren Shelley Pendergrass of Lubbock, Michael Ator of Houston, Kyle Bartels of Snyder, Koltar Bartels of Snyder, Derik Drinnen of Colorado, Tiffany Drinnen-Maloy of Colorado, and twelve great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister Helen Morgan of Houston, brother-in-law Larry Hardwicke of Abilene, sister-in-law Mary Lou Bartels of Kerrville, and a host of cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Special thanks to caregivers Patricia Brown, Amanda Torres, Amy Strong, and LaCona Harrell. The family is deeply grateful for the support of special family friend Helen Grimes

He was preceded in death by his parents, four sisters and one brother

Visitation will be held Monday, December 02, 2019 from 6 PM to 7 PM at Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home.

Online Condolences may be posted at www.bellcypertseale.com