Vera Howard

Vera Howard, 89, of Marshalltown, passed away on Monday, September 17, 2012 at the Iowa River Hospice Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, September 21, 2012 at Center Street Baptist Church in Marshalltown. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 20, 2012 at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown, Iowa. Memorials may be directed to the Iowa River Hospice of Marshalltown. For condolences or questions, please visit www.mitchellfh.com . Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Vera and her family. Phone 641-844-1234.Vera Lorene Byers was born on October 5, 1922 in Putnam County, Missouri. She was the daughter of Lyle and Leta (Bland) Byers. Vera attended school in Union, Iowa, graduating with the class of 1940. After graduation she attended Business College in Chillicothe, Missouri.On May 2, 1942, Vera was united in marriage to Robert M. Howard in Unionville, Missouri. Vera and Robert had lived on a farm near Union, Iowa, until 1964 when they moved to Marshalltown where Vera had worked at J.C. Penneys and then Security State Bank until her retirement. Vera had been a member of Gifford Methodist Church and was very active in all church activities. She was very musical and she loved to sing and play the piano for her church. When they moved to Marshalltown, Vera and Bob joined Center Street BaptistChurch, where she and her sister, Rena would sing duets. Vera loved to welcome everyone into her home and loved to cook and share with others. She will be remembered as being a great wife, mother and devoted farmer with her husband Robert.Left to cherish her memory are her sons: Robert (Carol) Howard of Walker, Minnesota, and R. Dennis (Judith) Howard of Pine Mountain, California; grandchildren: Dan(Angela) Howard of Iowa City, Iowa, Stephanie Rispa of Grafton, North Dakota, Kathryn (Nate) Witte of Moorhead, Minnesota, Ann (Jared) Rupprecht of Tallahassee, Florida and Briana Howard of Ames, Iowa and great-grandchildren: Isabelle Howard and Blake Witte.Vera was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, her parents, Lyle and Leta Byers and her sister, Rena Rash.