May (Bird) Howell (1923)

GRAHAM, HOWELL, MILES, PATTERSON

Posted By: Treva Patterson
Date: 2/14/2008 at 17:26:35

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, December 6, 1923
Page 1, Column 2

Mrs. Mae Bird Howell Dies

Mrs. Mae Bird Howell, for many years a resident of this county, and known by many people of this community, died early Wednesday morning, Dec. 5th, at her home in Des Moines, after an illness of several years of pernicious anemia. She would have been 59 years of age had she lived until the 16th of this month. She had been in failing health for a couple of years, and she became critically ill about ten days ago, causing her death at her home, in the Victoria hotel.

Mrs. Howell was a daughter of the late Rev. Butler Bird, one of the prominent citizens of this town and county. She was the wife of a well known Madison county resident, Nelson S. Howell and she has spent a large part of her later life in California. For the last ten years she has been living in Des Moines. Mrs. Howell was a very active church worker and did much for the W.C.T.U. and all other organizations that tend for the welfare of the community. She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. W. D. Patterson and Mrs. Jessie Miles of Winterset, and a brother, Graham Bird of Des Moines.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon in Des Moines, at the Central Church of Christ.
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Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, December 6, 1923

Mrs. Howell Dies

Mrs. May Bird Howell, 60 years long-time resident of Des Moines and Polk County died Wednesday morning at the Victoria hotel after an extended illness. She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. D. T. Miles and Mrs. W. D. Patterson, Mr. Graham of the Warfield Pratt Towel Co of Des Moines. Her husband, N. F. Howell, prominent farmer and stock man of Cummings, Iowa died 15 years ago.

She was a member of the Central Christian Church of Christ and an active worker in the W.C.T.U. and of the Women's Relief Corp. Funeral services will be held from the Central Church of Christ Friday.
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The Des Moines Tribune
Des Moines, Iowa
Wednesday, December 5, 1923
Page 1, Column 6

MRS. BIRD HOWELL PIONEER, IS DEAD

Mrs. Bird Howell, 60 years old, pioneer resident of Des Moines and Polk county, died this morning after an extended illness at the Victoria hotel.

She was the widow of N. S. Howell, prominent farmer of Cummings, Ia., who died fifteen years ago.

Mrs. Howell is survived by two sisters, Mrs. D. T. Miles and Mrs. W. D Patterson of Winterset and one brother, Graham Bird, salesman for the Warfield, Pratt, Howell company.

She was an active worker in the W. C. T. U. and a member of the Central Church of Christ.

The body is at Harbach’s funeral home Funeral arrangements will be announced later.
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Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa
Thursday, December 6, 1923
Page 14, Column 2

RITES TO BE HELD FOR OLD RESIDENT FRIDAY AFTERNOON

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Bird Howell, 60 years old pioneer resident of Des Moines and Polk county, who died, yesterday morning at the Victoria hotel after along illness, will be held Friday afternoon at 3 o’clock at the Central Church of Christ. Rev. W. A. Shullenberger officiating.

Mrs. Howell was the widow of N. S. Howell, a prominent farmer of Cumming, Ia., who died fifteen years ago. She was an active worker in the W. C. T. U. and was a member of the Central Church of Christ.

She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. D. T. Miles and Mrs. W. D. Patterson of Winterset, and one brother Graham Bird, salesman for the Warfield, Pratt & Howell company. The body lies in State at Harbach’s funeral home.
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Transcriber's note: The deceased grew up in Madison County, a member of a pioneer family; the family says her ashes were scattered in the Des Moines river.
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Coordinator's note: Her husband's obituary had her first name as "Mae" as did one of these obituaries. Her Iowa Death Certificate as well as every census she appeared in had "May". There are also rumors that her first name was "Harvie" and the 1870 census had "Hary" but no other document, including her Death Certificate has anything but "May".