VIRGIL DEAN HOWIE
VIRGIL DEAN HOWIE, SON OF CLYDE AND MARIE (LANE) HOWIE, WAS BORN MAY 9, 1926 AT KENT, IOWA.
VIRGIL GRADUATED FROM REDDING HIGH SCHOOL IN 1945. ON NOVEMBER 10, 1945, HE MARRIED JEAN WILSON IN MOUNT AYR. THE HOWIE FAMILY MOVED TO GILROY, CALIFORNIA IN 1945 TO WORK IN FRUIT ORCHARDS.
VIRG REALLY LOVED THE OCEAN BUT JEAN WAS HOMESICK. IN 1950 THEY RETURNED TO REDDING AS A FAMILY AND CONTINUED TO FARM, ONLY NOW IN BEANS, CORN, CATTLE AND HOGS. VIRGIL WAS AN ENERGETIC, HARD-WORKING AND COMPASSIONATE MAN WHO ALWAYS HAD TIME FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
VIRGIL MORE THAN FULFILLED HIS CIVIC DUTIES BY SERVING NINE YEARS ON THE MOUNT AYR SCHOOL BOARD, AS A 4-H LEADER FOR THE REDDING ROCKETS, LITTLE LEAGUE BOYS BASEBALL COACH AND RINGGOLD COUNTY SHERIFF POSSE. HE WAS AN ELDER AND SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER IN THE R.L.D.S. CHURCH AND PRESIDED OVER MANY MARRIAGE CEREMONIES. VIRGIL ENJOYED TRACTOR PULLS, PLAYING CARDS, DONINOS, DEER HUNTING, FISHING AND BOWLING ALONG WITH EATING MEALS PREPARED BY GREAT COOKS IN THE FAMILY.
AFTER RETIREMENT FROM THE FARM, VIRGIL TOOK UP WOODWORKING BECAUSE IT WAS A WAY FOR HIM TO CONTINUE TO SHARE AND GIVE TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE SPECIAL TO HIM. HE ALSO PROVIDED HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT AND SUPERVISION FOR GRANDCHILDREN AND GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. VIRGIL BELIEVED IN THE SIMPLE BEAUTY OF NATURE AND GOD’S GRACE.
VIRGIL PASSED AWAY ON JANUARY 16, 2008 AT THE HEALTH CARE CENTER IN MOUNT AYR.
HE WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HIS PARENTS; BROTHER, LOWELL HOWIE; BROTHER-IN-LAW, SAM TAYLOR; SISTER-IN-LAW, JOANNE HOWIE AND NEPHEW JAMES HOWIE.
THOSE LEFT TO CHERISH HIS MEMORY INCLUDE HIS LOVING WIFE, JEAN HOWIE OF MOUNT AYR, IOWA; TWO SONS, LANNY HOWIE OF OELWEIN, IOWA AND TERRY HOWIE AND WIFE FAY OF MOUNT AYR, IOWA; DAUGHTER, KELLY SCHLAGER AND HUSBAND MYRON OF EVANS, CO.; NINE GRANDCHILDREN; FIVE GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN; BROTHER, LEROY HOWIE OF CREIGHTON, PA.; TWO SISTERS, ALEINE TAYLOR OF MOUNT AYR AND DELORES MOODY AND HUSBAND JAMES OF PORT ANGELES, WA.; SISTER-IN-LAW, ALICE HOWIE OF MOUNT AYR, IOWA AND OTHER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.
FUNERAL SERVICES WERE HELD SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2008 AT WILSON-WATSON & ARMSTRONG FUNERAL HOME IN MOUNT AYR WITH ELDERS TONY AND SANDY CRANDELL OFFICIATING. MUSIC WAS PROVIDED BY JANE BUCK AND FRANK HUDSON.
PALLBEARERS WERE SHANNON HERNANDEZ, MEGAN MEYER, ALICIA STILL, NATHAN HOWIE, NOLAND HOWIE, ADAM HOWIE AND DEVIN MCLEOD.
A TIME OF FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP WAS HELD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE SERVICES AT THE R.L.D.S. CHURCH OF CHRIST IN MOUNT AYR.
