Keith Wadsworth Howell

Born January 17, 1937 beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, and a friend to many, Keith Wadsworth Howell died peacefully on April 18, 2025 at the age of 88.
In his younger years Keith excelled in sports and discovered pole vaulting. In 7th grade at Barr Lake, he could pole vault higher than anyone at Brighton Junior and Senior High School so the Brighton coaches paid his tuition to transfer. While there, he set the pole-vaulting record that stood for many years. The family eventually moved to Wiggins where he continued to excel in football and basketball until a tragic farm accident left him unable to compete.
While still in school Keith went to work for Stub's Gas & Oil and drove a school bus. He ran a hay grinder for years, hauling a semi-trailer of hay to Denver unloading the hay by hand.
In 1956 he began farming and ranching with his dad and married Jackie Kress. Together they had three children Carol, Cheryl, and Melvin Howell.
In 1971 he married Penni Howell, embracing three more sons, Eric, Greg and Chad. After a few years of marriage Penni and Keith brought the baby of the family, Kate, into the world.
Keith was a very stubborn man, but he had a large heart full of love and kindness. He loved horses and competed and placed at many rodeos in calf roping. He had a special gift of training roping horses. Keith raised and trained the first Appaloosa to win a major PRCA rodeo. One of those horses included Meter Maid, who was purchased by Paul Tierney. Paul and Meter Maid went on to win four World Championships at the NFR in calf roping.
After his retirement in 2001, he loved traveling in his motorhome. His favorite trip was to Alaska, where he spent three months sightseeing and fishing. But fishing in Canada always held a special place in his heart. Keith traveled there most of his life with his father, family, and friends. For almost ten years he spent every summer there. He enjoyed the friendly people and eventually met the Nikbaklt family who quickly adopted him as their own.
Keith married Lynne on March 28, 1994 and extended his family even more with daughters Dianne and Suzanne and son Dale.
He cherished his family and in the last several years took every holiday, birthday, graduation or wedding as an opportunity to tell a story and show his family how much he loved them.
Keith is survived by his wife Lynne, children Carol Fisher, Cheryl (Mike) Burdette, Linda Howell, Kate (Travis) Harris, Eric (Donna) Creighton, Greg (Linda) Creighton, Chad (Anette) Creighton, Dianne (Rob) Becker, Suzanne (Wayne) Morine, and Pam Pastelak, and sister Marge (Allen) Vonloh. He had several grandchildren, great grandchildren and one great great grandson.
Preceded in death by his parents Kirk and Dorothy Howell, wife Penni Howell, three brothers Larry, Danny and Harold Howell, step son Dale Pastelak, and his son Melvin Howell.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 at Christ's Church, 330 State Street, Ft. Morgan, CO at 2:00 pm.
The family asks in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Wiggins Athletic Department. Keith Howell Memorial Donation