Sara Ann Howell

Sara Ann Howell was born July 13, 1928 in Trousdale County Tennessee and died April 4, 2012 in San Antonio Texas; she was eighty-three years of age. Her parents were Charlie Alvin Harper and Lillie Duncan Harper, deceased of Trousdale County, Tennessee. She attended high school in Oak Ridge and Hartsville, TN. She had two sisters, Edna Sloan (Hilous), deceased of Nashville and Nadine Graham, (Bob) of Huntsville, Alabama. She is preceded in death by her husband, Donald Edwin Howell and her son, Mark Harper Howell. She is survived by her son, Daniel Hardin Howell, (Nancy) and her two grandchildren, Hollie Rebecca Howell and Daniel “Hunter” Howell of San Antonio, TX.

Work and Home

Sara began her working career at Randy’s Records in Nashville and later secured a position with the Telephone Company, travelling throughout Virginia, South Carolina and Tennessee. She met her future husband while he was completing his Divinity degree at Vanderbilt and while Don was a pastor for a church near Lafayette, Tennessee. They were married on September 15, 1950 in the Hartsville United Methodist Church and she followed Don in his ministry which would take them throughout the world. She learned how to be a pastor’s wife while Don was a circuit preacher near Ethelsville, Alabama and later in Birmingham. Once Don joined the Chaplaincy in 1953, they lived in Minneapolis, Germany, Kansas City, Italy, back to Germany, San Antonio, Japan, Denver, and finally back to San Antonio, Texas.

Sara continued to work some outside the home at their various stations, but she always felt her main calling was to her family and that of a supportive wife. She had the added challenge and blessing when Mark came along in 1956. He later was diagnosed as being mentally challenged and she took care of him for fourteen years till he passed away in 1970. Daniel arrived in Howell household in 1961 while stationed in Kansas City.

To describe Sara, she was a person that loved her God, Home and Country. She was instrumental in implementing the Protestant Women of the Chapel and found herself ministering to the military families, especially when a service personnel passed or when the wounded warriors would return home. She found it challenging to coordinate being a pastor’s wife and taking care of two young children and supporting Don and keeping him motivated to be successful in his military career. Many times he was gone for weeks and months at a time and she had to keep the home fires burning. This is where her love of family was most demonstrated. As for love of Country, it was played out in numerous ways. For example, by taking cookies to wounded warrior returning home from Vietnam, to taking pies or meals to families that had just lost a loved one, to supporting the buddies of World War I in her retirement years, are just a few examples of love of country. She was most proud of her father, who had served in France, during World War I and later guarded some of the first materials of the first nuclear bomb while working at Oak Ridge, during World War II. She honored his memory by holding several state and national positions with the Ladies Auxiliary of World War I and set an example for us today, that we should continue to support all our veterans from all the various conflicts.

Interesting, Sara had an opportunity to have a private interview with President Truman, dance with Jimmy Durante and Chuck Connors. She worked with John Denver’s mother while stationed in Denver and even travelled to the Holy Lands. She was an excellent home maker and mother and wife. She loved to study interior decorating and cooking and loved to work with plants and flowers and was good at all three. In her later years, she worked at Wilson Garden Homes in San Antonio, helping the builder in all stages, providing cleaning and preparation of the new homes. Sara was always willing to help someone in whatever stage of life she found them. She was even was able to help a friend that was fired from her job get re hired!

Jimmy Durante’s song may best describe Sara’s approach to life….

Make someone happy,

Make just one someone happy;

Make just one heart the heart you sing to.

One smile that cheers you,

One face that lights when it nears you,

One girl you're ev'rything to.

Fame if you win it,

Comes and goes in a minute.

Where's the real stuff in life to cling to?

Love is the answer,

Someone to love is the answer.

Once you've found her, build your world around her.

Make someone happy,

Make just one someone happy,

And you will be happy, too.

Sara made many people happy. Her final struggle was with dementia, which lasted for over twelve years. Even though her mind had failed her, her body remained strong till the very end. She did have a strong desire to live and those that knew her well would agree. Finally, she was a very giving person. She gave to her family, her country and her friends, and now she is receiving the blessing from her Savior in Heaven!

Service and Arrangements:

Graveside Service on April 10, 2012 at 9:45 AM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. Service will be performed by John Parks of Trinity Baptist Church, San Antonio.

Sunset Funeral Home

1701 Austin Highway, San Antonio, TX 78218 | 210-828-2811

Those that would like to make a donation can honor Sara by making a donation to your local church or Veterans organization or Scholarship fund.