Robert 'Bob' William Howard, 98
Robert “Bob” William Howard, born to Leslie and Hazel Howard, Aug. 27, 1917, “went to meet the Lord” June 10, 2016.
As a young man he worked the CCC camps, where he learned to cook and be a ham radio operator. He continued the ham radio the rest of his life as a hobby.
Bob worked for the Forest Service a couple of fire seasons, being in the lookout towers and actually fighting fires. He could tell really good stories about these events. Most of his working life was in local sawmills and on his farm.
He met and married Eunice McMann, living their life together on their farm in the Birch Grove community. Building the home of their dreams, and as active members of their community, they helped keep the school/community hall and grounds in shipshape condition, being good neighbors to all, and having good neighbors.
He loved hunting, fishing, hiking, picking huckleberries and, in doing these things, talking to the animals, watching the birds and enjoying the fresh air, beautiful lakes and streams, mountains and hills — communing with God without realizing it.
Robert loved watching TV, taking in all the news. Our country and world happenings mattered a great deal to him, even to the point of voting absentee the last few years.
Robert “Bob” Howard spent the last few years of his life living at The Springs Assisted Living and Riverside Nursing Home in Whitefish.
Preceding him in death were his wife, Eunice; son, Bob; parents, Les and Hazel Howard; brother, Monty; and sisters, Elaine Winslow and Jennie Thomen.
Survivors include daughter, Marilyn Edwards; daughter-in-law, Faith Howard; one grandson, one granddaughter, several great-grandchildren, one sister, Azalea Bacon; special first cousin, Jane Barnes; many nieces and nephews, special ones being, Charlotte and Gary Corbeill, Starlene Connerley, Don Bacon, Carl and Barbara Howard. Seeing Robert as often as they could, they held a special spot in his heart. Very special friends that became like family to him include Micki Lehman, and Misty and Bob Teeples. They were there close when the rest of his family couldn’t be.
Loved ones and friends will gather at his burial site at the Glacier Memorial Gardens, Kalispell, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, for a final farewell.