Agnes Howard

Agnes Christene Howard died on June 22, 2024.  She was 78, outliving the expectations of physicians by several decades after defeating cancer in her earlier years.  She was resilient. She was born (of water) on September 15, 1945, but born of the Spirit by and through the cleansing power of the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, at age 15 at a little church on Flat Hollow Kentucky.  She was a member of Unity Full Gospel Fellowship where her husband Jack Howard, who survives her, pastored and where they both faithfully attended. She regularly used her gift of singing during the altar call services. She was unashamed of the gospel and shared it with many, even on her deathbed; praying for others instead of herself and asking, “do you go to church anywhere?”, followed by words expressing her gratitude for the goodness of God.

Life was filled with hard work, coming from a family of 12 siblings, all being the children of Robert Nelson Roe and Lena Francis Roe, Carl Roe, Larry Roe, Alfred Roe, Robert Roe, June Blair, Geneva Shy and Clara Bell Leslie all of whom are deceased, and surviving are Eloise Holbrook, Eunice Leslie, Norma Copas and Teresa Horsley. A multitude of loving nieces, nephews and extended family members also survive her.

She met her husband at a small restaurant on Ohio Avenue in New Boston. He had no money, no home and no job, but that all quickly changed.  Agnes and Jack married on July 1, 1967, at a church in Sugar Grove.  They had cake and Kool-Aid at their reception.  They visited Niagara Falls for their honeymoon and returned there to celebrate 50 years later.  At the time of marriage, she worked at Williams Shoe Factory and continued to do so until the birth of her firstborn.  She is survived by her children and their spouses, Rebecca and James Yount, John and Amanda Howard, Joshua and Amy Howard.  She is also survived by her five grandsons and their wives (or soon to be): Gabriel and Courtney, Benjamin and Lydia, Luke and Lilly and two grandsons not quite old enough for a wife yet; Jehu and Jude.  After starting a family her work continued, focused on her family, raising her children in the fear and admonition of the Father. Raising a garden covering a majority of the front yard on Pond Creek and raising beef cattle was a necessity to put food on the table while also being enjoyable to her. Wooden shelves in the basement were filled with everything canned. She enjoyed her home, listening to Christian music on records and the radio, flowers, birds, feeding fish in the pond, playing in the creek, hitting a softball (she hit 10 of 10 pitches just this past spring) in the front yard with her grandsons, swinging or climbing a tree.  The self-proclaimed “country girl” would smile and laugh while accomplishing activities most others would never attempt.

Her most powerful trait was that of being able to reach Heaven with her prayers.  Her children and grandchildren still hear her resounding prayers emanating from under the stairs or from the back room of the basement; her prayer closets.  As the scripture states in Proverbs, “Her children arise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her!”

Visitation will be June 24, 2024 from 6pm-8pm and June 25 from 10am-12pm with funeral service at 12pm all to be held at her church, Unity Full Gospel Fellowship.  Pastor Bryan Davis and Pastor Richard Stiles and her family will lead the celebration of her passing into Glory.  Burial will be at Mershon-Swords Cemetery on Pond Creek which overlooks her home.  Agnes supported missionaries for decades.  Contributions to be used for that purpose may be sent to Unity FGF at 4221Pine Street, New Boston, Ohio 45662.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the D.W. SWICK FUNERAL HOME in New Boston.