Marion Howells Obituary

Howells, Marion Elenor (née Black), passed away surrounded by her loving family, Monday, September 23, 2024, at the age of 84.

Beloved wife for 62 years of William R Howells; loving mother of William B (Analyn) Howells, Michael (Michelle) Howells and Peggy (Jeffrey) Gruender; dear grandmother of William E Howells, Jenna Gruender, Jack Gruender and Maxwell Gruender. Sister to Margaret Esther Black Thornton Rhinehart (deceased), Lois Black Veale, Christina Black, and brothers Hugh L. Black (deceased), and Donald F. Black (Barbara).

Marion was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 30,1940 to Margaret Esther Blaser Black and Marion Eckert Black. Marion’s given name is after her father’s name, and her middle name is after her Aunt Lois Elenor’s middle name. When her father returned from his service as a medical doctor in World War II, they moved to Shaker Heights, OH, on Lee Road, and she attended Fairmount Presbyterian church, where she was confirmed. She described this time as, “When she first became acquainted with God”. Her favorite hymn to sing was “This is my Father’s World”. Marion was surrounded by family, as her Aunt Lois lived next door, as well as her father’s grandparents, Louis Eckert Black and Jenny Clare Fought Black. Marion graduated from Shaker Heights High School in 1958 and attended the College of Wooster, in Wooster, Ohio, graduating with departmental honors in Speech & Language in 1962. 

Marion married William R Howells on August 29,1962 and moved to Pittsburgh, PA where she earned her Master’s Degree in Education in 1964. She earned her first teaching position at Mount Lebanon School District, a suburb of Pittsburgh, in a class for hard-of-hearing and deaf children. Marion paused her teaching career to lovingly raise her children. From Pittsburgh, PA, they moved to Portsmouth, OH, then Saint Clairsville, OH, then Indianapolis, IN, where Marion initiated a community Bible study and enjoyed spending time with friends and neighbors. In 1969 Marion moved to Columbus, OH, where she spent seven years and served as PTA President, and again initiated and lead a community Bible study. Marion also visited local nursing homes to bring them joy and comfort. She enjoyed being mother to her three children, as well as experiencing many forest & beach camping trips, gardening, and spending time with friends. 

Marion then moved to Batavia, IL, a suburb of Chicago, where she worked as a Learning Center Teacher at the newly built HC Storm Elementary school. Her three children also attended the same school. Marion enjoyed her time as Girl Scout Troop Leader for Peggy’s Troop, bike riding, sewing, baking, ice skating, sledding, camping, holidays, and enjoying time with friends and family. A family recipe of importance is Delmonico cake. She enjoyed our first dog, Heidi, a yellow labrador.

Marion’s final relocation was her move to Chesterfield, MO in 1980, where she taught hard-of-hearing and deaf children in the Hazelwood School District. Afterward she taught at Special School District located at Litzinger School for four years, helping children of many disabilities. While working full-time as a teacher, and mother to three children, she also took evening classes to achieve Missouri State Certification in Education. Upon receiving her certification, she earned her teaching position at a school named United Services for the Handicapped in St. Charles. There, she taught deaf, blind, autistic, down syndrome, and children born from meth, crack and cocaine-dependent mothers for twenty years. Her total years of service in helping & educating handicapped children was forty years. 

During this time, she also enjoyed attending St. Louis Family Church in Chesterfield MO, and aided in their effort to clean up after the flood of 1993. Marion enjoyed the church’s Bible study, women’s groups, and prayer groups. She contributed to the St. Louis Family Church in her work as JUMP camp (summer camp), vacation Bible school, and craft class volunteer for many years. Her grandchildren and their friends attended these events under her care. 

Marion was also proud to support the St. Louis Family Church in their effort to re-establish Christian values in the community. She picketed with the church in front of the abortion clinic on Manchester Road and Weidman for three years, until it closed, in response to the church’s efforts. This is the time that they sang “Awesome God” and “Waymaker”, as they picketed. She also picketed in protest to theaters showing, “The Last Temptation of Christ”, for six weeks, until it also closed. She called it the “Abomination of Lies”. Marion also volunteered for Larry Rice’s St. Louis phone bank charity service to raise money for the Christian community’s families-in-need. In turn, Marion and her children served Christmas day lunch to needy families in Saint Louis. She accomplished all these milestones while working full-time teaching severely handicapped children, being a mother to three young children, and a wife. 

Marion was once asked, “What do you see as your greatest strength and accomplishment?”. Her answer, “I don’t give up. I have perseverance.  I raised three wonderful children, while working full-time for forty years, and working at a happy marriage. I achieved my Master’s degree while working full-time, raising children, and had no family in-town to assist”.

Services: Celebration of Life at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Visitation from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. Friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.

The service will be live streamed for those unable to attend through a link at the Schrader Funeral Home website.