John E. Howard
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
Funeral services for John E. Howard, age 92 years and 24 days, a longtime Bentley resident, who lived several years in Oregon and lived in Bentley the last 59 years, will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 15, 2021, at the Lane Baptist Church, in Lane, with the Reverend Tom Howard and Brother J. D. Steelman officiating.
Interment will be in Bentley Cemetery, at Bentley.
Services are under the direction of Brown’s Funeral Service, in Atoka.
Howard passed away on Saturday, January 9, 2021, at Denison, Texas.
He was born on Sunday, December 16, 1928, to J. E. and Martha Idalia (Rogers) Howard, at Bentley.
Howard attended Bentley Public School. He played minor league baseball and basketball. Howard played basketball against the Harlem Globe Trotters.
He married Barbara Leona (Shaw) on Saturday, July 29, 1950, in Oregon. They celebrated 70 years of marriage before his passing.
Howard worked a number of years in the lumber mills in Oregon. He was a Baptist Minister for the past 55 years. Howard pastored many churches and helped build several churches. He preached his last service on February 23, 2020, at Lane Baptist Church. He always said, “God hired me and God will have to fire me”.
He was a lifelong Baptist. He had Sunday morning services on the radio station over 50 years. Howard was an avid hog trapper, loved doing ranch work and working with cattle and horses. He preached hundreds of funerals and officiated at about that many weddings.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Leona Howard of the home, in Bentley; children, Drucilla Thurman and husband, Clinton, of Bentley; Gloria Sheffield and husband, Larry, of Lane; Robin Roller of Bentley; grandchildren, LaDonna Forester and husband, Charles, of Lane; Phillip Thurman and wife, Emily, of Bentley; Misty Pingleton of Atoka; Tara Sandmann and husband, Johnny, of Cottonwood; Laura Kisby and husband, Jay, of Amarillo, Texas; Jessica Hunt and husband, Zack, of Lane; Tawana Stockton of Bentley; Nicholas Roller of Bentley; 19 great-grandchildren; along with nieces, nephews, other relatives and many dear and loved friends.
Preceding him in death were his parents, J. E. and Martha Idalia (Rogers) Howard; daughter, Linda Mae Howard; brothers, Ernest, Joe, Robert, Elder Lee and James Howard; sister, Katy Thomas; great-granddaughter, Kaci McGee; son-in-law, Steve Roller.
Pallbearers are Doyle Sheffield, Phillip Thurman, Zack Hunt, Keith Pingleton, Don Deaton and Larry Rains.
Honorary pallbearers are Harry Farris, Frankie Hunt, Bill Miller, Cecil Lewis, Junior Henry, B. J. Craig, Wayne Fowler, Charles Don Roberson and James Howard.
Family night will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Thursday, January 14, 2021, at Brown’s Funeral Service, in Atoka.
Condolences may be sent to the family by email to: BROWNS@ATOKA.NET. Please reference the name of the deceased in your correspondence.