Bernis Butler

Bernis Elaine Butler (Cryer), our beautiful and devoted mother, beloved sister, cherished friend, and the very best “Mimi,” gracefully gained her Angel wings on January 3, 2026. She was born on November 20, 1944, in Corpus Christi, Texas, to John and Opal Cryer during the war. Bernis lived a full and meaningful life, and nearly everyone who knew her would say the same thing—her sweetness, kindness, and gentle spirit were unmatched.

As the eldest of five children, Bernis learned early the importance of love and responsibility. While her parents worked, she helped care for her younger siblings, two of whom bravely battled polio. She attended Carroll High School, where she excelled academically and served as a team assistant for sports, graduating in 1962. From childhood, Bernis was a faithful servant of God, raised with strong Christian values that guided her throughout her life.

In 1962, Bernis met Ron Withrow, a U.S. Navy serviceman. They married and welcomed three daughters together. As a proud military wife, Bernis traveled extensively, making homes in California, Tennessee, Maryland, and Florida, often returning to Corpus Christi to be close to family while Ron was deployed overseas. She often reflected on those years as “the best times of her life.”

Bernis was known as an exceptional worker wherever she was employed. Her strong work ethic began at just 12 years old at Parr’s Drugstore, where she worked as a fountain girl and was paid with jukebox money. At 16, she worked at Levine’s Department Store—perhaps the beginning of her lifelong fashion sense, as she was always impeccably dressed. For 25 years, Bernis worked at the Astor alongside her beloved mother before returning to school to earn her degree as a Medical Laboratory Technician. She dedicated the next 18 years of her career to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where she served with compassion and pride until her retirement.

Bernis was a woman of many talents and passions. She loved sewing and created countless costumes and outfits for her family. A true sportswoman, she was an avid bowler, competing weekly in leagues throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and traveling across Texas for state tournaments—often alongside her daughters and sisters. She was also a fierce competitor in shuffleboard and likely holds the record for the most Super Bowl trophies won at the American Legion. An accomplished marksman, Bernis enjoyed hunting every weekend on the family deer lease she shared with her father, creating treasured memories with those she welcomed into her famously “warm” blind, always stocked with snacks. Bernis had a gift for hospitality and detail, always putting “the cherry on top” of everything she did. Her culinary talents were legendary—she prepared meals fit for a king not only on holidays but on any given day, and for countless American Legion Auxiliary events. A dedicated member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 364 for 29 years, Bernis devoted countless hours honoring and supporting veterans.

She was a favorite aunt, a loyal friend, a deeply loved sister, and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and Mimi. Her love and unwavering faith in God carried her through a courageous battle with cancer over the past three years, a journey she faced with grace, strength, and determination so she could spend more precious time with her family. Bernis’s greatest gift was her soft, compassionate heart and her remarkable ability to make everyone feel deeply loved. Her legacy of love will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew her.

Bernis was preceded in death by her beloved parents, John and Opal Cryer; her brother, James M. Cryer; and her sister, Patricia Jo Bass.

She is survived by her sisters, Millie Gainan and Paula Cryer Porter; her loving daughters, Michele (Mike) Wanzer, Rhonda Echols, and Lori Withrow-Irwin (Ron Clark); and her cherished grandchildren, whom she lovingly called her “heart”: Melissa (Tony) Atkinson, Brittany Ficken Watson, Chelsey Gandy, Samantha Gandy Macdonald (Scott), Michaela Faith Irwin, McKenna Georgia Irwin, and grandson Tommy Echols. She is also survived by six treasured great-grandsons: Jackson, Chase, Wesley, Zack, Sutton, and baby Spencer. Bernis is further survived by her cousins, four nephews, five nieces, and many great-nieces and great-nephews, all of whom loved her dearly.

• Visitation: 
• January 9, 2026 | 5:00–7:00 PM  
• Winsteads’ Funeral Home 500 Wildcat Drive, Portland, Texas 78374 
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• Funeral Services: 
• Oak Ridge Baptist Church 
• 2100 Buddy Ganem Drive, Portland, Texas 78374 
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• January 10, 2026 
• 10:00–11:00 AM Family Visitation • 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
• Open Visitation • 12:00–1:30 PM 
• Funeral Service Graveside service to follow at Seaside Cemetery
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Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of the professionals at Winsteads’ Funeral Home. (361) 643-6564 www.winsteadsfuneralhome.com