Dorothy May Howard

1923 - 2017

Dorothy May Howard

94, of Friendswood, TX, and formerly of Indianapolis, IN, passed away on July 30, 2017. She was born on January 27, 1923 in Putman County, IN to Raymond Thomas and Eva Lena (West) Leathers on the family farm. She was preceded in death by her husband Levy Clark Howard in 1991 and her brothers, Donald Eugene Lowe and Harold Edmond Leathers.

Growing up on a farm during the Depression, Dorothy had so many interesting stories of farm life and life before running water, indoor plumbing, electricity, telephones, television, automatic heat and processed foods. She got to see Charles Lindbergh fly over the farm and even went for a ride in an open cockpit biplane that was barnstorming through the area. Dorothy loved choir and was always a good student. In high school she was class secretary and won two awards from the Daughters of the American Revolution for home economics and for best school spirit and high scholastic standing. After graduating from high school in 1941, Dorothy completed 2 years at the Central Normal College at Danville, IN where she took bookkeeping and secretarial classes. She had won a scholarship for college from Hendricks County, IN and from the Women's Relief Corp, which comprised of descendants of Union Civil War soldiers who helped veterans of the Civil War like her Great Grandfather Hiram Thomas Storm. During World War II, Dorothy worked in cost accounting at the Insley Manufacturing Plant in Indianapolis, IN where they made excavators for the Seabees. After starting a family, Dorothy stayed home, raising two children who were very active in music. Going back to work after the children grew up, Dorothy was a bookkeeper for 20 years with the Indianapolis CPA firm Blue & Co. where she had the distinction of being the first employee and the first retiree. She was not only a bookkeeper but also performed many other office assistant roles as the company grew. She and husband Levy were active gardeners. Dorothy made the best applesauce from their apple tree and the crispiest cucumber pickles. She enjoyed trying new crafts, having dinner and Euchre card game parties with friends and spending precious times with her grandchildren. She often proudly said that she was the "Grandma with wheels" as she jumped at chances to drive her grandchildren as needed. Regardless of where she lived, Dorothy was an active church member. She grew up attending the North Salem Methodist Church. At Emerson Avenue Baptist Church in Indianapolis, she ensured that her children had a religious upbringing and served as the Church Treasurer. Dorothy was very active in Indianapolis' Castleview Baptist Church Missions' group, where they made quilts and packaged food to send to sponsored missionaries. She enjoyed meeting some of the missionaries and hearing about their unique experiences. After moving to Texas in 2004, Dorothy joined the Seabrook United Methodist Church where she enjoyed fellowship in the women's groups making crafts used for fundraising.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Jenny May Stein (Robert) of Friendswood, TX; son, Allan Clark Howard (Diana) of Kerrville, TX; 3 grandchildren, Brian Clark Howard (Christine), Lisa Marie Parrish (Jeremy) and Amy Louise Fosnot (Stephen); 2 great grandchildren, Erin and Alice; and her sister, Jennie Madge Jordan (Jack) of Eaton, Ohio; numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 5, 2017 at Flanner and Buchanan-Washington Park East, 10722 E. Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46229. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Burial in Washington Park East Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Seabrook United Methodist Women of the Seabrook United Methodist Church, 3300 Lakeside Drive, Seabrook, TX 77586, (281)326-1970. Electronic donations may be made via their website www.seabrookumc.org.

Please go to www.flannerbuchanan.com to leave condolences.