Barbara Heron Howton, age 86, of Birmingham, Alabama passed away on Sunday, April 11, 2021. She was a graduate of Minor High School in 1953 and attend Business College. Barbara was a retired teacher’s aide from Midfield Elementary School and a member of Fairfield Highland Baptist Church for four decades where she served countless families and those in need as part of the kitchen crew and overseer of the clothes closet and donation panty. Over the last five years her servant’s heart carried over into her work as a volunteer at Princeton Hospital where she took great pride in caring for family members who were there with loved ones. In her personal time, she loved attending the sporting events of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and playing dominos with her friends she cherished.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Annie Muriel Heron, her brother, James Thomas Heron, her sister, Moniree Heron Hayes, and her husband of 40 years, Earl E. Howton, Sr. She is survived by her seven children, Gary Seale (Mary Jo), Earl Howton, Jr. (Cindy), Evan Seale, Gina Howton, Kelly Arant (Danny), Robert Screws and Melanie Hillman (Josh), her sixteen grandchildren, Jennifer Whitten, Randy Whitten, Shelly Young (Donny), Gary D. Seale (Gina), Samantha Boggs (Nick), Samantha Miro (Daniel), Ali Daniel (Mason), Daniel Arant (Lauren), Sean Haber (Julian), Bailey Howton, Alex Hillman, Macy Money, Christlyn Brewer, Gracie Hillman, Micah Screws and Erin Screws, and fifteen great-grandchildren.
Her services will be held on Friday, April 16, 2021, at Rideout’s Chapel in Gardendale, 2029 Decatur Highway, Gardendale, AL 35071. The family will start receiving friends at 10:00 am and the funeral service will begin at 11:00 am. Barbara will be buried with her late husband at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo where her family will have a private service. In lieu of flowers, her family is requesting you make a donation in Barbara’s memory to your favorite ministry or continue their mother’s tradition and purchase a Gideon Bible.
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