Obituary for Azalea Whitfield Howe
Azalea Whitfield Howe of Lumberton, Texas died peacefully on December 02, 2005 at the age of 86. A third generation Texan whose Texas lineage began in antebellum times, Azalea was born in El Campo, Texas on August 17, 1919. She was preceded in death by her parents Henry Harrison Whitfield and Lillie Leona Bennett Whitfield. She was the last surviving sibling of her family and was predeceased by “Baby” Whitfield, Harry Whitfield, Annie Dee Whitfield Carmichael, John Emett Whitfield, Eric Whitfield, Lillie Leona Whitfield Raybon, Mollie Estelle Whitfield Love, and James Monroe Whitfield. Surviving her are Robert “Bob” Harry Howe, her loving husband of fifty-nine years; her son Richard Gary Howe and daughter-in-law Marilyn Jeffcoat Howe of Houston; her granddaughter Rachael Allison Howe Abell and husband Christopher Fitzgerald Abell of Lake Worth, Florida; grandson Geoffrey Michael Howe of College Station, Texas; and great granddaughter Lauren Elizabeth Abell. She is also survived by a host of nephews and nieces.
During her childhood, Azalea lived in El Campo until the time of her father’s death in 1931. Her mother then moved the family to Houston where she raised three children and two grand children through the darkest days of the Great Depression. Azalea graduated from Sam Houston High School in 1937. Following graduation, she worked at the Bama Canning Company until World War II and then worked at Ellington Airfield where she performed repair work on military airplanes. During the latter months of the war, she met her future husband at Dokey’s, a popular dance club in Houston. After their marriage in 1946, Azalea and Robert lived in Boling, Texas until 1960 when they moved to Beaumont. They moved to the house they built in Lumberton in 1974 and resided there for thirty-one years.
Azalea, who was named after an aunt, went through life explaining that her name was not pronounced as the flower of the same spelling; rather, it was pronounced “Aza-lee.” Nevertheless, some of her friends would good-naturedly still call her “Azale-ya.” She was a person who genuinely loved people and loved being around people. As a mother and grandmother, she unabashedly spoiled and pampered her offspring. Azalea was devoted to her husband and was a great helpmate to him during their many years of marriage. A devout Christian, Azalea was an active member of First Baptist Church of Lumberton where she was a member of the Lydia Sunday School Class and participated in the “prayer line.” Her hobbies included voraciously reading romance novels, watching “Wheel-of-Fortune,” playing dominos, and creating cross stitch canvass gifts for family and friends.
Her passing leaves a void that cannot be filled in this world, and those of us that she left behind can find solace in the fact that she is now held in the arms of her Lord, Jesus Christ.
Visitation will be on Sunday, December 4th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Farmer’s Funeral Home, 415 North Fourth Street, Silsbee, Texas. Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church of Lumberton, 1206 S. Main Street, at 11:00 AM on December 05, 2005 and will be officiated by Reverend Russell Fite of First Baptist Church of Lumberton. Graveside services and internment will be at Davis Greenlawn Cemetery in Rosenberg, Texas on December 06, 2005 at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church of Lumberton building fund.
