Dorothy Ella Howard

DOROTHY ELLA (WINANS) HOWARD...

was born August 20, 1916 in Galva, Iowa the fourth of six children born to Robert Sydney and Plessie (Emery) Winans of Toulon, Illinois. As an infant the family moved for a short time to Tucson, Arizona where they farmed for a year, before moving for several years to Corydon, Iowa where the family had a fruit farm and raised horses. During the onset of the Great Depression the family moved to Carthage, SD where Dorothy earned her eighth grade certificate. After several years of drought, the family moved again to Ward, SD where they maintained a farm until her father’s death in 1948.

Dorothy spent time during WWII as a server at the five star Broadmoor Hotel located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, Colorado. After the war she returned to Pipestone and worked at the Eagle Caf, and the Rail Car Caf. On December 29, 1951, she married Albert Russell Howard, the eldest son of Charles and Eugenia (Beecher) Howard of Pipestone at the Methodist Church in Luverne, Minnesota on their way to the east coast. They traveled with their airstream trailer to Paducah, Kentucky where Albert worked on the construction of nuclear power plants.

After returning to Pipestone, Dorothy worked as a dispatcher at the Pipestone Jail for many years and would cook meals and keep house for the inmates. She also worked at the Pipestone Country Club. She semi-retired in the 1960’s and 1970’s while maintaining the Howard Apartments business. On October 26, 1986 at the age of 90, Albert passed away at the Veterans hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. Dorothy was a two-time cancer survivor, recovering from both breast and colon cancer. In 2011 at the age of ninety-five she fulfilled her wish to return to her grandparent’s home in Toulon, Illinois.

Dorothy Ella Howard was called to rest by our Lord on Monday, October 3, 2016 at the Pipestone County Hospice House after a life well lived at the age of 100 years, one month, and 13 days.

Dorothy was confirmed on February 14, 1958 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Pipestone, where they were members until its closing. In 2015, Dorothy became a member of First Presbyterian Church of Pipestone.

Dorothy is survived by her grandchildren, Jennifer Cronin of Pipestone, James (Elise’) Cronin of Mankato, Minnesota, and Erin (Justus) Bass of Volga, South Dakota; great-grandchildren, Tristan Bergmann, Ryker Bass, Finnegan Cronin, Johnathon Martens, and Lydya Martens; sons-in-law, Pat (Janey) Cronin of Huron, South Dakota and Kit (Becky) Marti of Prior Lake, Minnesota; her daughter, Dorothy (Tim) Darveaux; eight nieces and nephews and their spouses; and dozens of great and gr. gr. nieces and nephews. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Albert; parents Robert and Plessie; her brothers and sisters-in-law: Harold (Ann), William “Bill” (Opal), and Robert Sydney Jr., her sisters: Lois and Alma Jean; brothers and sisters-in-law, Charles (Dorothy) Howard, Paul (Mary) Howard, Harriet (Howard) and Vice Admiral Roy Gano; her nephews, William Howard and James Gano; niece, Myrtle Gano; and great-nephew, John J. Steele Jr.