Howe, Paul R (1930?-2015)

HOWE, BEAMAN, OSTRANDER, LANGILL, STRAUSSER, VICKERY

Posted By: Colleen J Ossman (email)
Date: 1/23/2016 at 13:30:56

December 22, 2015
The Daily Freeman Journal

Paul Richard Howe, age 85, of Boone and formerly of Webster City and Williams, passed away on Thursday, December 17, 2015. As he was in life, he was surrounded by his family when he was welcomed home.

When Paul wasn't working in the field, he was with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He was adored by all who knew him. On a Sunday afternoon after church you could find him walking through the woods with his granddaughter, driving around in his truck with his grandson, or making his great grandkids giggle up a storm. But Monday through Saturday he was in the field. Even at 85 years old, he would still go out and walk the fields. Nothing would have made him give it up. It was where he found God.

"Even when there was nothing to do in the field, he would be found 'tinkering' with things in the machine shed. Even as a kid he worked on his father's planter, he wanted to make it narrower in order to increase the number of rows in the field and his yields," said his daughter, Marcia Beaman. Paul was a 2nd generation farmer.

Paul also loved all of his farm cats. "They would follow him around. He would always pick them up and pet them, no matter how busy he was. When they heard his truck pull into the drive, they would all come running." Morgan Beaman, his granddaughter-in-law said. Paul left his parents' farm as an 18 year old to join the Air Force. He was the gunner and a radio operator in a B-29 Super Fortress. While he was an airman, he met his blushing bride of 63 years, Mary Leola Howe.

Paul is survived by his wife Mary Leola Howe, daughter Marcia Beaman, daughter-in-law Mary Howe, sister Evelyn Ostrander, brothers Wayne Howe and Merlen (Judy) Howe, grandchildren Kristi (Eric) Langill, Katie Howe, Ben (Erica) Howe, Jon (Laura) Howe, and Kris (Morgan) Beaman, and great grandchildren Ronin and Nyla Langill and Elizabeth Howe. He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Earl and Edith Howe, three brothers George, Lee, and Orville Howe, a sister Virginia Strausser, and his son, Ben Howe. Also, his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Carl and Leola Vickery.

Public visitation with the family will be Wednesday, December 23, 2015, from 9 to 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 703 Arden Street, in Boone. At 11:15 a.m., a luncheon for family and friends will be held at the Church. A private family church service will be held later that afternoon and followed by a private burial with Military Honors in the Linwood Park Cemetery in Boone.

Schroeder Memorial Chapel at Sixth and Marshall in Boone is in charge of the arrangements.