Mildred V. Howe

West Des Moines

Mildred V. “Millie” Johnson Howe passed away peacefully on August 20, 2013 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, IA. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 24 at McLaren’s Chapel in West Des Moines with burial at Resthaven Cemetery. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

She was born on November 9, 1918 in Fort Dodge, IA, the first child of John Oden Johnson and Anna Sophia Anderson Johnson. Millie graduated from Fort Dodge High School in 1937. She attended nurses’ training at the Iowa Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1940. She returned to Fort Dodge and began working at Fort Dodge Lutheran Hospital.

A member of the Army Nurses Corps Reserves, she was called to duty in September, 1941. After serving at several bases in the states, she joined the 231st Station Hospital Group. She was stationed in England from August, 1943 through the summer of 1945. She returned home, receiving an honorable discharge from the Army in 1946.

Millie returned to work as a nurse at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Dodge. In 1952, she met Robert “Bob” Howe; they were married a few months later on February 28, 1953. They were blessed with four children. Millie returned to work in the late 1960’s, this time at Iowa Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, where the family had moved in 1961.

Millie and Bob retired in 1979. They enjoyed many years of camping and traveling, spending their winters in south Texas for over 20 years. They lived in Rogers, AR for several years, returning to Des Moines in late 2010, shortly before Bob’s death. Besides camping and traveling, Millie enjoyed knitting, especially baby items. She donated many sets of booties and blankets to underprivileged infants in south Texas. She also greatly enjoyed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Millie is survived by her four children, Rebecca Howe of Des Moines, Robert Howe Jr. (Tami) of Johnston, Kathryn Powell of LaVista, NE and John Howe (Becky Malloy) of Olive Branch, MS; seven grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; brother, Karl Johnson of Fort Dodge, IA and sister, Helen Thompson of Brooklyn Park, MN. Millie was preceded in death by her beloved husband; parents; and sisters, Doris Gottschalk and Louise Wick.

The family would like to thank the staff at Arbor Springs in West Des Moines for the care given to Millie the last year and a half of her life.

Memorials may be made to the Greater Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.