September 13, 2017
A sweet, devout Christian woman and an unforgettable educator is how those who knew and loved Joy Howell, wife of local oil and gas businessman Rusty Howell, remembered her.
"Mrs. Howell was a very sweet lady. I thought the world of her," said Glen Bickerdike, who served on the East Texas Baptist University board of directors with Howell.
"There was no doubt where she stood in her faith," Bickerdike said. "She was the type person that you enjoyed being around. She always had a smile on her face.
"She was properly named - Joy," he said. "She was truly a 'joy' to be around and I was certainly honored to say that I (knew her)."
Howell, founder of the Christian Women's Club in Marshall and an inaugural board member of the Marshall Prayer Force, died on Sunday. She was 91.
"She was my husband's second-grade teacher," Laurie Workman, a retired educator and Howell's fellow church member, said, sharing how her husband adored Howell as his teacher.
When she met Howell in the '70s, she was immediately drawn to Howell's kind spirit.
"She was just a wonderful, Christian woman, a very fervent prayer warrior and such a wonderful role model for the younger women in our church," Workman said, noting they were all members of First Baptist Church in Marshall where Howell also served as a Sunday school teacher.
Howell was so committed to her faith that she started a women's Bible study in her home.
"We met in her home for years," said Workman. "She just had a heart for women and was such a positive influence on everyone.
The attendance grew so much that the Bible study eventually moved to the church.
"It's still going on today at First Baptist Church," said Workman.
A servant leader
Dee Farmer, Marshall Prayer Force founder, said Howell served faithfully as one of the first board members selected on the Prayer Force.
"Mrs. Joy Howell was a tremendous asset to the board, not only as a leader in the community but as a prayer warrior herself," Farmer said.
Hal Cornish praised Howell's service as a board member at East Texas Baptist University. They both served on the board together some years ago.
"I think there's no question that while she served on the board of trustees at East Texas Baptist University there was no doubt she was one of the most - if not the most - loved and respected person on our board," Cornish said.
ETBU President J. Blair Blackburn said Howell remained a strong supporter and advocate for the school even after her service on the board concluded.
He said when he first arrived in Marshall, Howell was one of the first people to welcome him, taking him to lunch and offering to pray for both him and the university.
"We are so thankful for how Mrs. Howell earnestly interceded for ETBU in her prayers," Blackburn said. "Her love for ETBU and her spiritual leadership in our community will be greatly missed."
Cornish said Howell loved ETBU.
"She and her husband have been big financial donors at ETBU and they had a very positive impact on ETBU and she really loved the people and loved the students and the university," Cornish said.
As a missionary, she would travel with a group from ETBU, sharing God's love, her daughter Leslie Chambers, said.
"She went to China twice with a group from ETBU, and she loved that," said Chambers.
A compassionate spirit
Cornish said Howell has always displayed a heart of gold.
"She would give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it," Cornish said.
He recalled how kind she was, showing herself friendly to all she encountered.
"You just cannot imagine all the friends and the people in Marshall that she has befriended over the years, and everyone who meets her and becomes acquainted with her just loves her because she is such a fine lady, Cornish said. "She's just one of a kind. Everyone just really respects her. "
Chambers said it wasn't unusual for her mother to invite people - from neighbors to new acquaintances to widows - to dine with them for the holidays.
"We never knew who would be at our holiday table," Chambers chuckled, sharing her family would always play a fond guessing game on who her mother was inviting for Thanksgiving dinner. Guests loved her famous chocolate pie.
"She was so open to everybody and always made a friend," Chambers said. "She was the epitome of the true, Southern Christian lady."
A best friend
Cornish's wife, Joyce, considered Howell her best friend. She said the two were not only best friends, but prayer partners.
"She was somebody that you couldn't do enough for or she couldn't do enough for you just because of the way she was," Joyce Cornish said. "You loved her so much just from knowing her and the wonderful person she was."
A major highlight for the friends was celebrating one another's birthdays through a birthday club Howell started with a mutual friend more than 20 years ago.
"There were nine of us. We met in the month when it was someone's birthday," Joyce Cornish recalled.
The group lost some members due to death or relocation along the way, but Howell, Cornish and friend, Charleen Carrington continued on the tradition, still celebrating with just as a trio.
"It ended up being just three of us but we still met in June on Joy's birthday this year," Cornish said, noting they celebrated at Howell's favorite place, Roseville Bed and Breakfast. "This was our last time to meet. She wasn't sure that she felt like it, but the three of us got together. We always had a wonderful time together, laughing."
Service
In addition to ETBU, Howell served on the board of the Willoughby Juvenile Detention Center during its major renovation project. Howell also served on the Marshall Main Street board for years, as one of its earliest board members. She and her husband were also founding members of the Michelson Museum of Art. Chambers said her mother loved her husband, Rusty Howell, of 66 years, and enjoyed accompanying him to all of Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) meetings where he served as president.
A memorial service will be held for Howell at Sullivan Funeral Home Chapel at 11 a.m. today.