Marceil Howells

Marceil Echo Harnisch Howells

November 14, 1918 - October 31, 2021

Marceil Echo Harnisch Howells of Albany, Oregon, passed away of old-age related issues at the Mennonite Village Quail Run on October 31, 2021, 14 days short of her 103rd birthday.

Marceil was born on November 14, 1918, in the countryside north of Albany in her parents' home, to Carl A. and A. Dale Harnisch. She grew up in the new home her parents subsequently built for them on the family farm in the Dever-Conner district.

She graduated from Albany High School in 1936. The Whirlwind yearbook tells that Marceil's favorite flower was the forget-me-not, and the quotation attributed to her was "We should hardly think from her assertive look that her greatest joy is found in a book." She attended Oregon State College in Corvallis, majoring in art and home economics.

She was working at Hamilton's Ladies Goods store when she met her future husband, Dr. Allan Page Howells, who was renting storage facilities upstairs across the street from his Clinic Building at 3rd & Broadalbin. Their marriage in 1941 was quite the sensation around town for a while, as there was 39 years' difference in their ages. But the wagging tongues had naught to be concerned about, as Marceil and Allan had an extremely happy marriage until his death 23 years later. When asked if she had any regrets marrying a man so much older than herself, she said "absolutely none - I gained so much more from my life and love with Allan than I lost when he died". She never married again.

They set up housekeeping on Takena Street, where they had their three children in three years, prior to building a new home in North Albany, where they raised all three children to adulthood before moving back into town at 12th & Maple Street in 1962.

Dr. Howells practiced osteopathic medicine in Albany for more than fifty years. After he passed away in 1964, Marceil worked at the Albany Public Library before getting a job with the State of Oregon in the Licenses Division in Salem, where she worked until retirement.

One of her greatest passions was enjoying music, especially jazz and the compositions of Astor Piazzolla. She attended every single Otter Crest Jazz Party, then at Salishan, then at Skamania Lodge, plus some in Aspen, CO. She was a close personal friend of Gene and Jeannie Harris, both who predeceased her.

Another of her passions was knitting lace centerpieces and artistic abstract works of her own designs out of fine thread. When her fingers could no longer handle such fine work she switched to knitting with various yarns such items as large abstract wall hangings, curtains, bedspreads, tablecloths, down to lap throws and baby blankets that she gifted to many of the aides who helped her at Mennonite Village.

One of her passions later in life became an interest in cosmology as more and more discoveries were being made in outer space. She was utterly fascinated by that and kept up to date with books and magazines. The last book she read was by Neil deGrasse Tyson called "Astrophysics for People In a Hurry." She was fascinated by discoveries being made about black holes and loved to discuss them with anyone who would give her the time and attention.

She is survived by daughter Jocelyn Howells (Edouard Pécourt, deceased) of Happy Valley and son Micheal Carl Howells of Albany, as well as several grand and great grandchildren and ex-daughters-in-law Janice Moore and Diana Soehl , as well as niece Carla Sue Harnisch Fox and nephew Gary Harnisch. She was preceded in death by her daughter Naomi Angela Skirmantas (Arvidas, deceased).

The family is very appreciative of the care she was given by the people at Mennonite Village, especially at the end. There will be a private gathering celebrating Marceil's life at a future date.