Daniel S. "Dan" Howard 1889-1952

HOWARD, HART, BOYVEY, KAST, BECKMAN

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 4/3/2011 at 13:38:17

Mayor Dan S. Howard Dies at Lake Cottage
Funeral Plans Are Incomplete
Local Community Shocked at News
Dan S. Howard, 64, Estherville’s widely known and highly esteemed mayor, died in his sleep sometime Saturday night. He and Mrs. Howard were spending the week-end at his cottage on Spirit Lake at the time of his death.

Funeral arrangements have not been completed pending word from his son who is serving with the U. S. Army in Japan

Mayor Howard’s death came as a shock to the Estherville community. He had not been in ill health and Saturday had spent some time in the mayor’s office at the city hall.

Mr. Howard was a prominent Estherville business man for many years before he accepted appointment as Estherville’s mayor in 1950, succeeding the late George Robb, who resigned from the office to accept appointment to the state tax commission. Later Mayor Howard was unopposed for election to the office of mayor. Mayor Howard and his brother, Jay, operated the Cut Rate grocery and market here for 23 years before their retirement in 1948 [1946?].

Mr. Howard was born in 1889[December 16, 1889 per WWI draft records] at Forest City. He lived with his parents there and graduated from the Forest City schools. He attended Waldorf junior college at Forest City and was employed in stores around there and worked for the post office delivering mail. He enlisted in the army in the first World War and spent 27 months overseas taking part in many of the major battles of that war.

In 1926 he and his brother, Jay, arrived in Estherville and started their grocery store. He was married to Vera Hart at Red Oak on Sept. 14, 1922.

He is survived by his wife, a son, Joe E., a daughter, Mrs. Donald (Ruth) Boyvey of Des Moines, and a granddaughter, Caroline Boyvey, 16 months. Also surviving are his brother, Jay of Estherville, and sisters Alice and Ina of Forest City, Mrs. Charles Kast of Winterset, Mable of Des Moines and Mrs. Arthur Beckman of Nashville, Tenn.

A member of the Estherville Methodist church for many years he was active in church and community work. He was an active member in the Mason and Elk lodges, VFW, and was a past commander of the American Legion post here.

In 1927 he took part in the second A.E.F. tour of Europe and visited many of the places where he was stationed during the war.

All retail stores will be closed during the hours of the funeral services, whenever they are set, in honor of Mayor Howard. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, July 28, 1952)

Howard Rites are Thursday
Funeral services for Mayor Dan S. Howard will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Sandin funeral home. There will be no church service, the Rev. H. H. Hill of the First Methodist church will officiate. Burial will be at Oak Hill cemetery.

In respect to Mayor Howard all Estherville business firms will be closed for one hour from 2 to 3 p.m. Thursday and the city hall will be closed the entire afternoon.

It was learned today that his son, Joe, will be unable to return for his father’s funeral. Joe is serving with the U.S. army in Japan.

Masonic lodge members will have charge of graveside rites.

Pallbearers will be Clarence Mathieson, Irwin Nichols, Ed Sorum, Guy Tibits, Claude Randolph and Ernest Smith.

Friends may call at the Sandin funeral home to pay final respects after 5 p.m. today.

Last night one minute of silent tribute was paid to Mr. Howard at Jaycee field immediately preceding the Estherville – Spencer baseball game. Mr. Howard had always been an ardent sports fan and was a past member of the board of directors of Estherville Baseball Inc. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, July 29, 1952)

Pvt. Joe E. Howard, son of the late Mayor Dan Howard and Mrs. Howard, arrived Wednesday to spend a 30-day furlough with his mother. Pvt. Howard is stationed in Tokyo, Japan with the U.S. army. He is a typist clerk at the army hospital there, keeping a record of casualties admitted to the hospital. Unable to secure a furlough at notice of his father’s death he sent his mother a message, which arrived here the date of Mayor Howard’s burial, to the effect that he had been granted a furlough and was flying home. However, he was grounded for two days in Tokyo because of fog and didn’t reach San Francisco until Monday. Arriving in Omaha Tuesday night he was met by his brother-in-law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Boyvey, who brought him to Estherville, arriving early Wednesday morning. Pvt. Howard told relatives that the trip home took 72 hours. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, August 9, 1952)