Hazel Jennelle Howard

1939-2025

Jennelle Howard Obituary

Hazel Jennelle Howard (née Painter), 85, of Rescue, California, died in Sacramento, California on February 28, 2025.

She was known to her friends and family as Jennelle. She was born in Beckley, West Virginia, on September 9, 1939. She grew up in Duo, West Virginia, graduating from Rupert High School in 1957. After her younger sister, Janet, graduated from high school in 1959, the family moved from West Virginia to Sacramento, California.

There, she met her future husband, Clarence Howard. Clarence and Jennelle married on May 1, 1960. They had two children, Brad and Lisa. The family lived in Carmichael while Clarence worked at Aerojet. They moved to Livermore for several years when Clarence worked at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. The family later moved back to Sacramento when Clarence took a job in the theater department at Sierra College. Jennelle was an active mom and enjoyed supporting her kids in activities like piano lessons, 4H and sports.

In 1979, the family moved to a house they built in Rescue, California. Jennelle worked at a dry-cleaning shop in Cameron Park, where she did alterations and developed loyal clients for her skills as a seamstress. She and Clarence enjoyed theater and regularly attended shows at the Music Circus in Sacramento.

Jennelle was an avid reader, seamstress, baker, bird watcher, and gardener. She loved books. After retirement, she stayed active as a volunteer for the Cameron Park Library, helping to organize monthly book sales. Jennelle regularly met with her “gal pals,” getting together for lunch and exchanging big bags of books. She was a good friend to her neighbors in Rescue. Clarence died in 2017. In 2021, she moved to Ponté Palmero in Cameron Park, where she continued to make new friends.

Jennelle was considered the “glue” of her extended family. She loved family get-togethers. She and Clarence hosted numerous large family gatherings. She also enjoyed doting on her extended family’s young children, always remembering to send birthday cards.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Clarence, and her parents, Thomas Gordon Painter and Eva Merl Painter (née Turpin). She is survived by her sister, Janet, daughter Lisa, son Brad, niece Kelly, son-in-law Gavin, and her large extended family and friends.

Friends and family are invited to a celebration of Jennelle Howard’s life at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Chapel of the Pines, 2855 Cold Springs Road, Placerville, California, 95667.