Howell Newman Wheaton

Howell Newman Wheaton was born on August 17, 1923 in Wheatonville, Indiana to Henry Rudolf Wheaton, a farmer, county road grader, and so much more, and Golda Newman Wheaton, a school teacher and homemaker. He was born at home in a house that his Grandfather Newman helped build and it still stands today. He was their first child, gaining a sister, Leola, five years later. He grew up on 80 acres where they raised dairy cows, beef cows, hogs, sheep, corn, soybeans, lots of chickens, and a special little Toy Fox Terrier named Tessiebell during America's depression.

In addition to his sister he had a large number of first cousins that all grew up in the surrounding rural community and their bond was as close, if not closer, than most siblings. He maintained relationships with them his entire life.

He attended the Black Oak one room schoolhouse for grades one through eight, completing all eight grades in seven years. There was only one other girl in his grade and the teacher, in an attempt to keep two bright children busy and occupied, kept giving them the work and they completed the third and fourth grade in one year.

He liked to tell the story of getting to ride the family horse Blanche the couple of miles to school, but once there he would dismount and slap Blanche on the rump so she would return home and his Dad could use her for farming and other duties. So, he got to ride to school but had to walk home.

He attended Elberfeld high school in Elberfeld, Indiana just up the road from Wheatonville where he excelled in his studies and played basketball. He graduated at the age of 16 in a class of 18 students, 9 girls and 9 boys, in 1939. All 9 boys later served in WWII and all 9 came home. He loved his school and classmates and faithfully attended all class reunions well after he was the last one remaining from his class, attending his last reunion, his 84th, in 2023.

In 1942, at the age of 18, before he could be drafted during World War II, he signed up to serve his country in the United States Marine Corps. He dared not wait to be drafted because he wanted to serve in the Corps as his father had served in World War I before him. He attended bootcamp in San Diego in 1943 and was assigned to the Second Marine Division, 6th Regiment (2/6 Spartans).

Staged on a ship in the South Pacific his regiment saw hard combat at the Battles of Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. He spent much of his time overseas being a runner for his Captain, stringing wire, often behind enemy lines, so our troops could communicate. His regiment was being readied for the invasion of Nagasaki with projected casualties of 90% when President Harry S Truman dropped the nuclear bomb. The occupation of Nagasaki was the last effort he undertook with his regiment where he stayed from 1945 to 1946. He lost many friends and comrades with only 25% of his regiment surviving. He often told the story of being the second American, walking directly behind his Captain, to ever step foot in an atomic bomb crater. He credited Missouri's Harry S Truman with saving his life.

After World War II he served the remainder of his enlistment in the Great Lakes, Illinois area reuniting with his Commanding Officer, Captain Manconi, whom he had great respect for and stayed in touch with for many, many years. In addition to his captain he forged strong friendships in the Corps and he and his wife and their families remained close throughout their lives.

Once a Marine, always a Marine. This statement rang so true for Howell. He was proud to be a Marine, he loved his country, and he did not hesitate to stand up and fight, so the rest of us would not have to because freedom is never free. But he never glamorized war. In his own words, "war is a terrible thing, it's life and death".

He met his wife, Jeannette Alvena Stahl, as a youth at Warrick County Farm Bureau events, and upon returning home to Southern Indiana they reacquainted and after a courtship they married at the United Methodist Church in Terre Haute, Indiana on July 15, 1950. His first cousin Mae and her husband stood up with them and it was also their wedding anniversary date. Howell and Jeannette would share fifty years together here on earth.

Shortly after, they moved to West LaFayette, Indiana where he enrolled at Purdue, his wife's Alma Mater, under the G.I.Bill. He earned his undergraduate degree in Dairy Husbandry in 1953, and then followed that with a Master's in Agronomy in 1954.

He and his family of three, wife Jeannette and daughter Pamela Kaye moved to Upland, Indiana in 1953 where he managed the Miller Purdue farm, a research facility.

There he became involved in Toastmasters, which he credited with developing his speaking skills, which served him well in his career.

Also while living in Upland, Indiana he became a Master Mason of the Arcana Masonic Lodge no 427 of Indiana on May 2, 1957. He was proud to be a Freemason for over 68 years.

In 1959 they returned to West LaFayette, Indiana as a family of four, with daughter Jane Ellen being born while in Upland.

After working on staff at Purdue for several years his superiors encouraged him to obtain his PhD in order to advance in his career. In early 1963 he took a sabbatical from Purdue and he and his family of four moved to Lexington, Kentucky.

In 1964, after completing his coursework he and his family of now five, daughter Susan Alvena being born while they were in Kentucky, returned to West LaFayette and Purdue. He finished his thesis and was awarded his PhD in Ruminant Nutrition in 1965.

At Purdue, Howell cultivated his passion for Boilermaker sports, particularly basketball and football. He was a regular contributor to Knucklehead Central, the premier message board for Purdue sports fans, from its inception on GoldandBlack.com in 2001. He was featured on several podcasts, more recently just days before his 100th birthday. He was known as GoldandBlack.com's oldest and most passionate sports fan. After his retirement, he held season tickets to Purdue football up until 2016, when he was 93 years old, driving seven hours one way to watch his favorite team play.

He was never one to spend much time indoors. Outside of his time spent working and raising a young family, he loved to go camping and fishing. He loved it all; fly rod, rod and reel, mountain stream, lakes, farm ponds, and he was especially known for his love of ice fishing.

In 1968 Howell took the job of Missouri's State Agronomy and Extension Forages Specialist and he and his family moved to Columbia, Missouri and Mizzou, minus their oldest daughter who was then enrolled at Purdue. He would become renowned for his rapport with Missouri's farmers and his work with the legume, Birdsfoot Trefoil.

In 1972 the family moved to a 165 acre farm eight miles north of Columbia in the community of Woodlandville. That farm would eventually become known as Wheaton Angus.

It was also at this time the family joined the Woodlandville United Methodist Church where he was a member until his passing.

In 1973 the first Angus heifer to step onto the farm was bought for Susan's 4-H project. Over the next 12 years Howell became very involved as a 4-H beef project leader and served faithfully on the Boone County Fair Board for over a decade, and was Beef Superintendent for several of those years.

In 1985 Howell retired from the University of Missouri and he and Jeannette became much more involved in the Angus Industry.

Highlights of his Angus cattle legacy include:

•long time member of the Historic Howard County Angus Breeders Association.

•Missouri Angus Association Board of Directors for multiple years serving as President of the Missouri Angus Association in 1995/96.

•Missouri Association delegate at the American Angus National Convention for many years.

•"Complete" Dispersal Sale 1998

•Missouri Angus Pioneer Breeder Award recipient 2000

•American Angus Association Historic Herd Award 2023.

•Oldest living Angus Breeder to have a production sale 2023.

He wrote "Hay and Cows and Chaff and Stuff" for the Missouri Angus Trails magazine for nearly 40 years from approximately 1985 to 2025. This grew into a nearly two page spread combining his agronomy/forage knowledge with both his doctoral education in Ruminant Nutrition and practical experience that became a trusted resource to so many in the agricultural industry.

In addition to their love of the Angus breed and community Howell and Jeannette loved to travel and took many trips abroad and across the U.S. following his retirement from the University of Missouri. They traveled multiple times to Europe, with Jeannette surprising him with a side trip to Scotland one trip where they attended the Aberdeen Angus Bull Sale in Glasgow.

Fifty years later that 4-H and FFA project that evolved into a well renowned and respected herd is still going strong.

After the passing of Jeannette in 2001, Howell focused his energies on his daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren, his Angus cattle, cutting, raking, and baling hay, and always, always making new friends wherever he went.

On June 26, 2003, at a summer BBQ of mutual friends, he and daughter Susan met Barbara Ann Baker. Howell and Barbara enjoyed many activities together and spending time with family and friends, especially lunch with the Heuer's crowd. They enjoyed 22 years of companionship and she was by his side daily, looking after him in his final illness.

Howell stayed active, both mentally and physically his entire life. He was a voracious reader and was always reading books and studying new material. He never stopped learning new things. He raked hay on the tractor, checked cows in his Buick, rode the 4-wheeler sideways, and at the age of 99 turned said 4-wheeler upside down in the creek! He renewed his Missouri driver's license just before his 100th birthday, paying for three years, and said "I hope I get my money's worth!" He was a known fixture in the community, recognizable by his cowboy hat behind the wheel of his big ol' Buicks.

He loved people, especially young people, and he never passed up an opportunity to tell a corny joke, or two, or three. In the last decade, he loving became known as Dr. Grandpa to the younger set. He loved his family and friends fiercely, almost as much as he loved his Angus cows. His laugh was contagious and if you knew Howell, you knew his laugh.

After suffering a stroke in December of 2024 Howell's health declined and he passed peacefully on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 3:16 p.m in Columbia, Missouri. He was just shy of turning 102. His mind was bright up to the very last moment.

He was preceded in death by and was reunited with his parents Henry and Golda Wheaton, his wife Jeannette, daughter Jane Ellen Wheaton, brothers and sisters in laws; Bob Ahrens, Glenn and Betty Stahl, Lloyd and Mildred Stahl, and many many cousins.

He was loved and is survived by sweetheart Barbara Ann Baker, his daughters Pamela Kaye Ramirez of Sacramento, California, Susan Alvena Wheaton and husband Douglas Wayne Chambers of Fayette, Missouri. Grandchildren, Rachel Elena Ramirez Groszowski and husband Jason Andrew Groszowski, Miguel Gustavo Ramirez and wife Rita Allison Ramirez, Gina Elizabeth Ramirez Alvi, Tessa Jeannette Chambers Hartman and husband Bradley Edwin Hartman, and Trace Wheaton Chambers; great grandsons Shawn Edward Alvi and Matias Gustavo Ramirez Groszowski; sister Leola Ahrens; special niece Lee Ann Galloway, many more nieces, nephews, cousins, and friend and cattle partner, Tim Cobb.

A church service was held Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 2:00 p.m. at Nobles Chapel Church in Wheatonville, Indiana (Elberfeld) and burial with full military honors at Nobles Chapel Cemetery immediately following.

A Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday, August 17, 2025 at the Lions Building in Harrisburg, Missouri following a carry-in dinner with the beef entree and refreshments provided. Please arrive at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Nobles Chapel Cemetery or Missouri Angus Association Foundation Scholarship Fund.