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Submitted: 10/31/13 • Approved: 7/11/16 • Last Updated: 7/14/16 • R940462-G940461-S3
August 24, 1926 - June 16, 2005
*Obituary
Batesville Daily Guard
MELBOURNE – Wilma Imogene Anderson Howard, 78, of Melbourne died Thursday, June 16, 2005, in a Melbourne nursing home.
Born Aug. 24, 1926, in Larkin, she was the daughter of Willie Artie "Bill" Anderson and Faye Hargis Anderson Byrd. She married Add Roman Howard on Jan. 30, 1949. She was a member of Melbourne Community Church and Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies' Auxiliary.
She was a funeral director, having worked with her husband at Hall Funeral Home in Calico Rock and McCallum Funeral Home in Melbourne. In 1970, the owners of McCallum Funeral Home erected a new building on Main Street and changed the name to Howard Funeral Home in honor of the Howards' years of dedication, their knowledge of the business and their popularity in the community.
At one time, she was the only female coroner in the state. She learned every aspect of funeral service, handling everything involved except embalming. She arranged all the details for families in their time of loss, helped families make decisions, handled all the arrangements, styled hair and applied makeup and was present at each visitation service. In 1996, she went to work for her son at Eddie's Family Funeral Home and worked there until 2000.
Survivors include a son, Eddie Howard of Melbourne; two daughters, Pamela Gaye Turner and Anna Faye Hopper, both of Melbourne; a sister, Patsy Black of Jonesboro; nine grandchildren, Tanya Turner, Cory Hopper, Billy Turner, Ryan Howard, Crystal Turner, Ashley Howard Johnson, Anthony Howard, Tyler Howard and Audrey Howard; two great-grandchildren, Jacob Turner and Dustin Turner; an uncle, Loyd Hargis of Melbourne; an aunt, Alene Grills of Melbourne; and a niece, Janice Grissum of Jonesboro.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Add Roman Howard; and two sons, Billy Ray Howard and an infant, Michael Ray Howard.
The funeral was at 2 p.m. Sunday at Roman and Billy Howard Memorial Chapel with Wayne Wood and Steve Stevenson officiating. Burial was in Melbourne Cemetery under the direction of Eddie's Family Funeral Home in Melbourne.
Pallbearers were Jerry Bone, Gayle Cooper, Son Lamb, Brett Stevenson, Kevin Rush, John Teague and Tom Cone.
Honorary pallbearers were Billy Turner, Ryan Howard, Cory Hopper, Anthony Howard, Tyler Howard, Cory Hopper, Michael Moser and Austin Moser.
Contributed on 10/31/13 by sandhollow
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Record #: 940462