LONGTIME BELLVILLE CIVIC LEADER PASSES AWAY

  

A longtime civic leader for Bellville and Austin County has died.  William Troy Byler passed away on Friday at the age of 79.

Byler was very involved in the community serving as a board member and later president for the Youth Rodeo Association of Texas, the Austin County Youth Rodeo Association, and the Austin County Youth Rodeo Committee.

He also started and led several ventures including the Rolling Oaks Skating Rink, the Four County Auction Center, and Faith Academy in Bellville.  In 2011, Faith Academy named their baseball field after him.

Byler also served on the board of directors for the First National Bank of Bellville, and was a member of the Austin County Soil & Water Conservation District, Associated General Contractors, Associated Builders and Contractors, the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, and the Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

Byler is survived by his wife of 59 years, Merlene, their four children, nine grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be tomorrow (Wednesday) from 2-7pm and Thursday from 8am-noon at Schmidt Funeral Home in Bellville. The funeral will be Thursday at 2pm at the Austin County Fair Expo and Convention Center in Bellville.  The burial will follow at the Byler Family Cemetery in Chappell Hill.